Unworthy

How to spell unworthy

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce unworthy

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unworthy mean?

1. adjectiveNot deserving respect, attention, or a particular benefit; lacking merit.

Unworthy in a sentence

• The manager felt the proposal was unworthy of further funding.

• He dismissed the rumour as unworthy of any serious response.

Where does unworthy come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built from the native English noun 'worth', which comes from the Old English 'weorth', meaning 'value', 'merit', or 'price', and which goes back to a Germanic root shared with the Dutch 'waard' and the German 'Wert'. To form an adjective, English added the suffix '-y', giving 'worthy', meaning 'having value or merit'. The prefix 'un-', an old Germanic negative meaning simply 'not', was then placed in front to reverse the sense, producing 'unworthy', literally 'not having value or merit'. The combined form was in use by the late Middle Ages and has kept a steady meaning of being undeserving or lacking the qualities expected. Because every part of the word is plain Old English, the spelling is regular once you notice it is just 'un' plus 'worth' plus 'y', with no hidden letters.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• worth (value, merit, from Old English weorth)
• -y (adjective suffix)