Meaning & use
to be treated unfairly
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
To be dealt with in a way that is not right or just.
Grammar: Passive phrase; often followed by 'by someone' to say who did it.
Patterns
- be treated unfairly by someone
- feel treated unfairly
She felt she had been treated unfairly by the manager.
The workers complained that they were treated unfairly.
No one should be treated unfairly because of their accent.
phrasefixed phrase
To receive worse treatment than others in a similar situation.
Grammar: Often used with 'compared to' or 'than': treated unfairly compared to her colleagues.
Patterns
- be treated unfairly compared to someone
- be treated unfairly in a situation
He was treated unfairly compared to the other students.
Some customers are treated unfairly when they complain.
Common combinations
- be treated unfairly by
- They were treated unfairly by the company.
- feel treated unfairly
- I felt treated unfairly after the decision.
- treated unfairly at work
- She was treated unfairly at work for years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be discriminated against
- This is stronger and usually means unfair treatment because of a personal characteristic such as race, sex, or age.
- be wronged
- This is more formal and suggests a moral or legal wrong done to someone.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: to be treated unfairly or unfairly vs. unfairly treated?
to be treated unfairly vs unfairly vs. unfairly treated
'Unfairly treated' is an adjective phrase describing a person; 'treated unfairly' is the passive verb phrase. Both are common, but word order changes the grammar.
Practice
Many employees felt they were treated _____ when the bonuses were given out.
Choose one answer.
We need an adverb to describe how they were treated, so 'unfairly' is correct. 'Unfair' is an adjective, 'unfairness' is a noun, and 'unfairing' is not a word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to be treated unfairly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.