earn

From Wiktionary

Pronunciation[change]

Verb[change]

Plain form
earn

Third-person singular
earns

Past tense
earned

Past participle
earned

Present participle
earning

  1. If you earn something you get it by working or doing something.
    I earn a lot more money at my new job than at my last job.
    He worked hard to earn our respect.
    She earned a bad name for herself by her bad behavior.
    The child earned a spanking by not listening to his parents.
    It took a long time to earn their trust.
  2. If you think you have earned something, you think you should have it because of what you have done.
    After completing that project I thought I had earned some time to rest.

Related words[change]