Standard Lemma guide

unduly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʌnˈdjuːli/
  • /ʌnˈduːli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N D UW1 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The speaker unduly criticized his opponent and later apologized for this.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

to an undue degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was unduly pessimistic about her future

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From undue + -ly or un- + duly.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неоправдано (neopravdano) — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Bulgarian: незаслужено (nezasluženo) — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Bulgarian: несправедливо (nespravedlivo) — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Catalan: indegudament — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Chinese Mandarin: 過度的 /过度的 — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Finnish: kohtuuttomasti — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Finnish: liiallisesti — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Finnish: aiheettomasti — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • French: indument — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Latin: indēbitō — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Latin: indēbitē — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Polish: niesłusznie — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Polish: nadmiernie — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Polish: nienależnie — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Polish: bezpodstawnie — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Portuguese: indevidamente — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Russian: незаслуженно (nezasluženno) — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Russian: несправедли́во (nespravedlívo) — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Serbo-Croatian: neopravdano — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Serbo-Croatian: nezasluženo — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Spanish: indebidamente — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Swedish: oskäligt — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Swedish: onödigt — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Swedish: orättmätigt — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Swedish: otillbörligt — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted
  • Swedish: oberättigat — undeservedly; in a way that is not warranted