unfairly

/ˌʌnˈfeəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌnˈferli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-ˈfer-lē/ (ame, mw)

unfairly — adverb

1. when someone behaves or acts without fairness — for example, treating one group

1.副詞B2
釋義

when someone behaves or acts without fairness — for example, treating one group more harshly than another for no good reason

例句

The hiring manager was accused of acting unfairly by rejecting qualified women candidates.

passive + of + gerund: be accused of acting unfairly

The referee was criticized for unfairly penalizing one team throughout the match.

adverb before gerund: unfairly penalizing

同義詞
  • unjustly

    more formal and typically used in legal or moral contexts

  • wrongfully

    specifically implies a violation of a legal or moral right

  • inequitably

    formal; focuses on unequal distribution or treatment across groups

  • unduly

    suggests an action is excessive or beyond what is reasonable

反義詞
  • fairly

    direct opposite across all contexts

  • justly

    more formal; emphasizes moral rightness

  • equally

    focuses on even and impartial treatment

用法筆記

Frequently used with passive verbs describing how a person or group is treated, such as treat, penalize, criticize, judge, accuse, and reject. The adverb usually appears directly before the past participle or gerund it modifies.

常見錯誤

❌The manager treated the workers unfair.
✅The manager treated the workers unfairly.
💡'unfair' is an adjective and cannot describe how an action is performed; use the adverb 'unfairly.'
❌The company's unfairly policy was criticized.
✅The company's unfair policy was criticized.
💡'unfairly' cannot modify a noun; use the adjective 'unfair' before a noun.