unfairly
gb/ʌnfˈɛɹli/ us/ʌnfˈɛɹli/
B1
English
igazságtalanul, méltánytalanul, aránytalanul
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is treated/judged/punished/accused [unfairly]
She felt she had been unfairly treated at work.
Úgy érezte, igazságtalanul bántak vele a munkahelyén.
He was unfairly blamed for the mistake.
A hibáért igazságtalanul őt hibáztatták.
Many students thought the exam was marked unfairly.
Learner examples
My teacher did not judge me unfairly.
A tanárom nem ítélt meg igazságtalanul.
He was punished unfairly.
Igazságtalanul büntették meg.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the adjective instead of the adverb (e.g., “treated unfair” instead of “treated unfairly”).
Meaning
in a way that is not fair
Collocations
treated unfairly
|judged unfairly
|punished unfairly
|accused unfairly
|dismissed unfairly
|blamed unfairly
|criticized unfairly
|excluded unfairly
|overlooked unfairly
|unfairly targeted
Synonyms
unjustly (Slightly more formal; emphasizes moral or legal injustice.)
|
wrongfully (Often used for accusations, punishment, or legal decisions.)
|
inequitably (More formal; emphasizes unequal treatment.)
Antonyms
fairly (In a just and equal way.)
|
justly (Emphasizes moral correctness or deserved outcomes.)
Themes
law
|society
|work
|education
|ethics
Definition
in a way that is not fair to someone
In a way that is not fair or just; without giving someone equal, reasonable, or deserved treatment.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] is [unfairly] + adjective / [someone] is [unfairly] compared to [someone]
New players said the first level was unfairly difficult.
Az új játékosok szerint az első pálya igazságtalanul nehéz volt.
Small firms are unfairly disadvantaged by the current rules.
A jelenlegi szabályok igazságtalanul hátrányos helyzetbe hozzák a kisvállalkozásokat.
She was unfairly compared to her older sister throughout school.
Learner examples
The test was unfairly hard.
A teszt igazságtalanul nehéz volt.
He was unfairly compared to his brother.
Igazságtalanul hasonlították össze a testvérével.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse “unfairly” where “very” is meant; it implies a judgment that something is not fair, not just strong intensity.
Meaning
to an unreasonable, unfair degree
Collocations
unfairly high
|unfairly low
|unfairly difficult
|unfairly strict
|unfairly compared
|unfairly expected
|unfairly demanding
|unfairly expensive
|unfairly criticized
|unfairly disadvantaged
Synonyms
unreasonably (Focuses on lack of reason; may not explicitly imply injustice.)
|
unduly (More formal; means ‘more than is appropriate’.)
Antonyms
reasonably (To an appropriate or fair degree.)
|
appropriately (To a suitable degree given the situation.)
Themes
daily_life
|education
|sports
|work
Definition
to an unreasonable level that is not fair
To a degree that creates an unfair disadvantage or seems unreasonable, especially when describing comparisons, standards, or conditions.
Grammar
Dictionary form
unfairly
IPA
GB/ʌnfˈɛɹli/
US/ʌnfˈɛɹli/
Syllables & stress
un - fairly (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fairly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: unfairly
- Plural: unfairlies
Expressions
treated unfairly
1/tɹˈitɪd ʌnfˈɛɹli/
fixed phrase
receive unfair treatment
someone is not treated in a fair way
Examples
- She complained that she was treated unfairly by her manager.
- I don’t want anyone on the team to feel treated unfairly.
- He said he’d been treated unfairly during the investigation.
Learner examples
- I was treated unfairly at work.
- She feels treated unfairly.
unfairly accused
1/ʌnfˈɛɹli əkjˈuzd/
fixed phrase
blamed for something wrongly
someone is blamed without a good reason
Examples
- He said he was unfairly accused of cheating.
- Several students were unfairly accused of copying during the exam.
- She felt unfairly accused when her friend suggested she had lied.
Learner examples
- I was unfairly accused of stealing.
unfairly compared (to)
1/ʌnfˈɛɹli kəmpˈɛɹd tə/
fixed phrase
compared in a way that isn’t fair
compared in a way that is not fair
Examples
- She hates being unfairly compared to her sister.
- The new phone is unfairly compared to last year’s flagship model.
- Small local shops are often unfairly compared to big online retailers.
Learner examples
- He is unfairly compared to his brother.
unfairly dismissed
1/ʌnfˈɛɹli dɪsmˈɪst/
fixed phrase
lose job without fair reason
lose your job in an unfair way
Examples
- She believes she was unfairly dismissed after raising safety concerns.
- Two employees claimed they were unfairly dismissed and took the case to a tribunal.
- He was unfairly dismissed without any warning.
Learner examples
- He was unfairly dismissed from his job.