earn

The word “earn” means to receive money in return for work done. In plain terms, to get money, respect, or reward through work or effort.

“Earn” is pronounced urn (/ɝn/ in IPA).

Here is “earn” used in a sentence: “She earns a good salary as a software engineer.”

“Earn” is a verb.

The word “earn” comes from Old English. From Old English earnian, ultimately linked to a root meaning "harvest" — earning something was originally tied to reaping a reward.

“Earn” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Earn” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to receive money in return for work done.

You earn something by working or deserving it — wages for a job, respect through good behaviour. You win something through a contest, competition, or chance, like a prize or a game. Earning implies steady effort and merit; winning implies beating others or luck. That link to deserving is why the two words are often confused.

Yes. Although earn most often means being paid for work, it also applies to anything gained through effort or merit — you can earn respect, trust, a promotion, or a reputation. In every case the sense is the same: the reward is deserved through what you have done rather than given freely or by chance.

She earns thirty thousand pounds a year as a nurse. He earned a bonus for finishing the project early. Over time, they earned the community's trust. Each shows something received in return for work or merit, whether that reward is wages, a bonus, or intangible respect that has to be won by effort.

The opposite depends on the meaning. When earn refers to being paid, opposites include spend, lose, or owe. When it means to deserve something through effort, the contrast is receiving it freely or unfairly — to inherit, be given, or take without deserving. Both share the idea of a reward that was not worked for.