unfair
- 01 B1 Intermediate
not right or honest because it treats people differently or breaks the rules.
not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice.
Simple“It is unfair that some students had more time to finish the test than others.”
In context“The employees argued that the new promotion policy was inherently unfair because it favoured those with personal connections over those with higher performance ratings.”
PitfallIt is very unfair for me. It is very unfair to me.When expressing that a situation is unjust toward a person, use the preposition 'to'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
not pretty or attractive.
lacking in physical beauty or aesthetic appeal.
Simple“In the old story, the cruel queen became unfair and wrinkled as she grew older.”
In context“The poet lamented how time's cold hand would eventually render even the most radiant face unfair and withered.”
UsageIn this sense, 'unfair' is the direct opposite of the archaic meaning of 'fair' as 'beautiful'.
Synonyms
Usage unfair trade
From Middle English unfair (“unattractive, unseemly”), from Old English unfæġer (“ugly”), equivalent to un- + fair.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.