Meaning & use
unduly
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Meaning
adverbnot comparableformal
More than is reasonable, fair or necessary.
Grammar: Goes before an adjective or verb: unduly worried, unduly harsh.
Patterns
- unduly worried
- unduly influenced
There is no need to be unduly worried about the test.
The punishment seemed unduly harsh for a first offense.
She did not want to unduly influence the committee.
Common combinations
- unduly concerned
- Doctors were not unduly concerned by the results.
- unduly harsh
- The ruling was seen as unduly harsh.
- unduly influenced
- He felt unduly influenced by his friends.
- unduly optimistic
- Analysts warned against being unduly optimistic.
- unduly burdensome
- The new rules are unduly burdensome for small shops.
Synonyms and how they differ
- excessively
- Excessively is a general word for too much, while unduly stresses that the amount is unfair or unjustified.
- unreasonably
- Unreasonably focuses on lacking good reason, whereas unduly focuses on going beyond what is proper.
- overly
- Overly is informal and neutral, while unduly sounds more formal and judgmental.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unduly or duly?
unduly vs duly
Duly means as expected or in the proper manner, while unduly means more than is reasonable.
Practice
The doctor said the patient did not need to be ___ concerned about the small mark on his skin.
Choose one answer.
Unduly concerned means worried more than necessary, which is the point of reassurance. Highly, fully and partly do not combine with not to give this meaning as naturally.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unduly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.