earn
/ɝn/ verb A2- To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work. · You can have the s'mores: you earned them, clearing the walkway of snow so well.· With their hard work and dedication, they earned respect and a seat at the table.
- To receive payment for work or for a role or position held (regardless of whether effort was applied or whether the remuneration is deserved or commensurate). · He earns seven million dollars a year as CEO. My bank account is only earning one percent interest.
- To receive payment for work. · Now that you are earning, you can start paying me rent.
- To cause (someone) to receive payment or reward. · My CD earns me six percent!· In that era, all their long, hard, dangerous labor in the mines barely earned them even enough to eat!
- To achieve by being worthy of. · to earn a spot in the top 20
Plural earn · He/she/it earns · Past earned · Past participle earned · -ing form earning
Verb forms
- Base form
- earn
- He/she/it
- earns
- Past
- earned
- Past participle
- earned
- -ing form
- earning
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
“You mean that he has a great income and that he must earn it in an illegal fashion?”
I believe in a girl being fitted to earn her own living whether she ever has to or not.
Josie Pye says she is just going to college for education’s sake, because she won’t have to earn her own living; she says of course it is different with orphans who are living on charity--_they_ have to hustle.
It was a breach of etiquette, of course, but oftentimes wage-earning girls waived formalities in matters of this kind.
Other matches
Learn earn in real texts
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