Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Insufficient in worth; undeserving: a bad plan unworthy of our consideration.
- adj. Lacking value or merit; worthless.
- adj. Not suiting or befitting: "The acquaintances she had already formed were unworthy of her” ( Jane Austen).
- adj. Vile; despicable.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Not deserving; not worthy; undeserving: usually followed by of.
- Wanting merit; worthless; vile; base.
- Unbecoming; shameful; discreditable.
- Not having suitable qualities or value; unsuitable; unbecoming; beneath the character of: with of.
- Not deserved; not justified.
- n. One who is unworthy.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Not worthy; wanting merit, value, or fitness; undeserving; worthless; unbecoming; -- often with
of .
WordNet 3.0
- adj. not deserving
- adj. lacking in value or merit
- adj. morally reprehensible
Etymologies
- From Middle English unworthy, equivalent to un- + worthy. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Consequently, I have found that much of what is put forth as evidence on this question is, as Mr. Corney has very justly intimated, quite inadmissible; in short, unworthy of belief.”
“Sportsman he was, and rake and gambler, as were we all; and I have seen him often overflushed with wine, but never heard from his lips a blasphemy or foul jest, never a word unworthy of clean lips and the clean heart he carried with him to his grave.”
“_Oui-a-ra - lih-to_, with about thirty-five warriors of the Indian village of Lorette in conjunction with the Iroquois and Algonquins, was actually engaged in the army of Burgoyne, a name unworthy to be associated with the noble spirit of Indian heroism.”
“I thought you would deem such a name unworthy to be mentioned.”
“My advice to Steve who feels he may get “lost” in a sea of photos he may or may not deem unworthy is to learn a bit more about tags and keywords.”
Great Photo on Flickr? Getty Images Might Pay You for It - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
“Given that the statement Ann called him on was an opinion -- specifically, that a "council" of bloggers that condemned the unworthy might be a good idea -- I'm not sure why Eric would think that "fact-checking" would have saved him.”
“Hush! said he, I charge you! call not the dear girl by any name unworthy of her.”
“Dr. Gene pointed out that the word in that verse is "unworthily" not "unworthy" -- an adverb, not an adjective -- it's about whether I approach the Lord's Table with a proper reverence and understanding of its significance.”
“At the sound the Earl started from his seat, and ran to the window, with the momentary purpose of recalling the unworthy commission with which he had entrusted one of whom he used to say he knew no virtuous property save affection to his patron.”
“But it is one and the same God, the Father of our Lord, from whom also the prophets had their mission, who does indeed, through His infinite kindness, call the unworthy; but He examines those who are called, [to ascertain] if they have on the garment fit and proper for the marriage of His Son, because nothing unbecoming or evil pleases Him.”
ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘unworthy’.
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• Knuckle tattoos
Our personal suggestions for those who feel the need for knuckle tattoos. For "4+4", see also frogapplause's Candy Hearts.
venomous, unworthy, tucotuco, vrooming, mispelin, i ♥ mozart, tiramisù, fartlets, pindaric, pecorino, the f word, 3.141592 and 104 more...
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Un-word List
untrammelled, untoward, unenthusiastically, unenthusiastic, undaunted, uncanny, unceasing, unbridled, unacknowledged, unacquainted, unadorned, unaffected and 239 more...
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feeling words
twitterpated, loquacious, ambiguous, pensive, sluggish, anxious, adventurous, curious, abandoned, absent-minded, abrasive, abused and 653 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for unworthy.
PossibleUnderscore "Don't you think that any secret course is an unworthy one?"
-David Copperfield, Charles Dickens Jul 28, 2009