Dictionary

underestimate en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.mət/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.mɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *h₂én Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi ? Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English estimate English underestimate From under- + estimate.

Meanings

1. An estimate that is too low.

Forms

Antonyms

overestimate

Synonyms

underestimation

Translations (18)

nn undervurdering (an estimate that is too low) · hy թերագնահատում (an estimate that is too low) · ru недооце́нка (an estimate that is too low) · fr sous-estimation (an estimate that is too low) · it sottovalutazione (an estimate that is too low) · nl onderschatting (an estimate that is too low) · sv undervärdering (an estimate that is too low) · pl zbyt niskie oszacowanie (an estimate that is too low) · pl niedoszacowanie (an estimate that is too low) · fi alhainen arvio (an estimate that is too low) · nb undervurdering (an estimate that is too low) · de Unterschätzung (an estimate that is too low) · fi aliarviointi (an estimate that is too low) · sv underskattning (an estimate that is too low) · it sottostima (an estimate that is too low) · be недаацэ́нка (an estimate that is too low) · pl niedocenienie (an estimate that is too low) · bg недооце́нка (an estimate that is too low)

underestimate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ʌndɚˈɛs.tɪ.meɪt/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér Proto-Indo-European *h₂én Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰi ? Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English estimate English underestimate From under- + estimate.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To estimate too low; to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has.
   • It recalls the business case for Scotland's reopening of the Borders Railway to Tweedbank, that British Rail closed in 1969. The review says the business case for this was at best borderline, but goes on to say that the case greatly underestimated passenger demand and that the railway Scotland built has capped its capacity. 2023 September 6, Philip Haigh, “£30 billion plan to transform the rail network in Ireland”, in RAIL, number 991, page 25:
2. (transitive) To perceive or expect (someone or something) to be less significant or difficult than it actually is.
   • I was alone when I read Ward’s piece, horizontal in bed after a long day, and it occurred to me that he might be misdiagnosing some of the reasons people appear to be spending more time alone, possibly underestimating the strength of virtual connections. 2022 March 12, Jessica Grose, “We’re Spending More Time Alone. Maybe It’s Because We’re Exhausted.”, in The New York Times:
   • I totally underestimated the task.
   • My point, therefore, in beginning with what everyone knows are the two main views of Othello (and hence Othello) is not to adjudicate between them, nor to dismiss both, nor to fence-sit, but to suggest that each answers to something important in the play – which also means that each underestimates something important as well. 1980, Jane Adamson, Othello As Tragedy: Some Problems of Judgement and Feeling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 12:
   • Both egg dishes were accompanied by roasted baby red potatoes and fresh, baked-on-the-premises orange spice muffins with a pot of whipped butter. We cannot underestimate the gustatorial importance of the potato side dish. 1985 April 27, Sue Hyde, “Sunday Brunch with a Harbor View”, in Gay Community News, page 8:

Forms

Antonyms

overdo · overestimate · overestimate · overdo · exaggerate · overreckon · overcharge · overemphasize · cut it fat · three-sheet · hyperbolize · stretch · overthink · overhold · play up · overapproximate · overstate · overapproximate · overrate · overstate · big up · overestimate

Coordinates

understate

Deriveds

underestimatable · underguesstimate · nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people · nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people · misunderestimate · underestimator

Hypernyms

estimate · misjudge · misestimate · miscalculate

Hyponyms

sell oneself short · undervalue · understage

Synonyms

underplay · superficialize · denigrate · underguess · deprecate · banalize · dispraise · belittle · misunderestimate · downplay · make nothing of · make light of · underestimate · derogate · understate · trivialize · understate · play down · disparage · underrate · belittle · underjudge · degrade · minimize · lilliputianize · set at nought · underestimate · underreckon · make little of · misjudge · bagatellize · misunderestimate · underapproximate · cut down · vilipend · de-emphasize · sell short · sell short · underapproximate

Translations (58)

nl onderschatten (to perceive as having lower value) · te తక్కువ అంచనా వేయు (to perceive as having lower value) · fr sous-estimer (to perceive as having lower value) · ja 侮る (to perceive as having lower value) · pl zaniżać (to perceive as having lower value) · da undervurdere (to perceive as having lower value) · hy թերագնահատել (to perceive as having lower value) · tr azımsamak (to perceive as having lower value) · sk podceňovať (to perceive as having lower value) · pt menosprezar (to perceive as having lower value) · id meremehkan (to perceive as having lower value) · pt subestimar (to perceive as having lower value) · ar اِسْتَخَفَّ (to perceive as having lower value) · ja 過小評価する (to perceive as having lower value) · ja 舐める (to perceive as having lower value) · el υποτιμώ (to perceive as having lower value) · ko 과소평가하다 (to perceive as having lower value) · de unterschätzen (to perceive as having lower value) · sl podceniti (to perceive as having lower value) · th ดูถูกดูแคลน (to perceive as having lower value) · sl podcenjevati (to perceive as having lower value) · uk недооціни́ти (to perceive as having lower value) · he זִלְזֵל (to perceive as having lower value) · gl subestimar (to perceive as having lower value) · el υποεκτιμώ (to perceive as having lower value) · tl maliitin (to perceive as having lower value) · ro subestima (to perceive as having lower value) · lb ënnerschätzen (to perceive as having lower value) · ar اِسْتَهَانَ (to perceive as having lower value) · ru недооцени́ть (to perceive as having lower value) · tr küçümsemek (to perceive as having lower value) · nb undervurdere (to perceive as having lower value) · es subestimar (to perceive as having lower value) · pl zaniżyć (to perceive as having lower value) · cmn 低估 (to perceive as having lower value) · ro subevalua (to perceive as having lower value) · id pandang rendah (to perceive as having lower value) · be недаацані́ць (to perceive as having lower value) · it sottostimare (to perceive as having lower value) · bg подценя́вам (to perceive as having lower value) · sv undervärdera (to perceive as having lower value) · pt fazer pouco (to perceive as having lower value) · bg подценя́ (to perceive as having lower value) · be недаацэ́ньваць (to perceive as having lower value) · hu alábecsül (to perceive as having lower value) · uk недооці́нювати (to perceive as having lower value) · fi aliarvioida (to perceive as having lower value) · sh подцењивати (to perceive as having lower value) · it sottovalutare (to perceive as having lower value) · sk podceniť (to perceive as having lower value) · cs podcenit (to perceive as having lower value) · eo subtaksi (to perceive as having lower value) · nn undervurdere (to perceive as having lower value) · tr hafife almak (to perceive as having lower value) · sh подценити (to perceive as having lower value) · sv underskatta (to perceive as having lower value) · ru недооце́нивать (to perceive as having lower value) · ca subestimar (to perceive as having lower value)