earned

earn ¹  (ûrn)

tr.v. earned, earn·ing, earns

1. To gain especially for the performance of service, labor, or work: earned money by mowing lawns.

2. To acquire or deserve as a result of effort or action: She earned a reputation as a hard worker.

3. To yield as return or profit: a savings account that earns interest on deposited funds.

Idiom:

earn (one's) spurs/stripes

To gain a position through hard work and the accumulation of experience, often in the face of difficulties.

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[Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian.]

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earner n.

Synonyms: earn¹, deserve, merit, rate¹, win
These verbs mean to gain as a result of one's behavior or effort: earns a large salary; deserves our congratulations; a suggestion that merits consideration; an event that rates a mention in the news; a candidate who won wide support.

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earn ²  (ûrn)

intr.v. earned, earn·ing, earns Obsolete

To yearn.

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[Middle English ernen, variant of yernen; see yearn.]

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

earned - gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action; "a well-earned reputation for honesty"; "earned income"; "an earned run in baseball" unearned - not gained by merit or labor or service; "accepted the unearned rewards that came his ways as well as the unearned criticism"; "unearned income"; "an unearned run"