Getting less money than your work is really worth.

Getting less money拿到的錢比較少 than your work is really worth比你的工作真正該值的還少。

The important thing is that this word carries a judgement, not a measurement. Nobody can look at a payslip alone and see 'underpaid' — you have to have decided that the work deserves more. That is why it is such a common word in complaints, union talks, and newspaper articles about nurses, teachers and care workers: saying someone is underpaid is arguing for them.

The important thing is重點是 that this word carries a judgement, not a measurement這個字帶著一種評斷，而不是單純的數字衡量。 Nobody can look at a payslip alone and see 'underpaid'沒有人光看薪資單就能看出'underpaid' you have to have decided that the work deserves more你得先認定這份工作值得更多錢才行。 That is why it is such a common word in complaints, union talks, and newspaper articles about nurses, teachers and care workers所以這個字常出現在抱怨、工會談判，還有講護理師、老師、照護人員的新聞報導裡 saying someone is underpaid is arguing for them說某人underpaid，其實就是在替他們發聲。

It describes people (underpaid staff, an underpaid teacher) and it very often turns up in the fixed pair 'overworked and underpaid', which is close to a set phrase in English — half joke, half complaint, and something people say about themselves all the time. You can also use it of the job or the work: an underpaid job, underpaid labour.

It describes people (underpaid staff, an underpaid teacher)可以形容人，像'underpaid staff'（薪水過低的員工）、'an underpaid teacher'（薪水過低的老師） and it very often turns up in the fixed pair 'overworked and underpaid'也常跟'overworked and underpaid'成對出現 which is close to a set phrase in English這在英文裡幾乎是固定說法 half joke, half complaint, and something people say about themselves all the time半開玩笑半抱怨，大家常拿來說自己。 You can also use it of the job or the work也可以用來形容工作或勞務本身 an underpaid job, underpaid labour像'an underpaid job'、'underpaid labour'。

Grammatically it is the past participle of the verb 'underpay', so it works both as an adjective ('she is underpaid') and as a real passive verb ('she was underpaid for years', 'they underpaid her by two thousand dollars'). Those two are subtly different: 'she is underpaid' means her salary is unfairly low; 'they underpaid her' can also mean a plain accounting mistake — they paid less than the agreed amount. Context tells you which.

Grammatically it is the past participle of the verb 'underpay'文法上這是動詞'underpay'的過去分詞 so it works both as an adjective ('she is underpaid')所以既可以當形容詞，像'she is underpaid' and as a real passive verb ('she was underpaid for years', 'they underpaid her by two thousand dollars')也可以當真正的被動動詞，像'she was underpaid for years'、'they underpaid her by two thousand dollars'。 Those two are subtly different這兩種用法有微妙的不同 'she is underpaid' means her salary is unfairly low'she is underpaid'的意思是她的薪水不合理地低 'they underpaid her' can also mean a plain accounting mistake而'they underpaid her'也可能只是單純算錯帳 they paid less than the agreed amount付的錢比講好的少。 Context tells you which要看上下文才知道是哪一種。

Its opposite, 'overpaid', is almost always an insult.

Its opposite, 'overpaid'反義字'overpaid' is almost always an insult幾乎都是一種諷刺。