underestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
underestimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underestimated,
past participle, past
-
underestimating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
underestimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underestimated,
past participle, past
-
underestimating
present participle
noun
-
underestimates
plural
verb
-
to make too low an estimate of
he underestimated the cost
-
to think insufficiently highly of
to underestimate a person
noun
Usage
Underestimate is sometimes wrongly used where overestimate is meant: the importance of his work cannot be overestimated (not cannot be underestimated )
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
underestimatesimple
-
underestimatessimple
-
have underestimatedperfect
-
has underestimatedperfect
-
am underestimatingprogressive
-
are underestimatingprogressive
-
is underestimatingprogressive
-
have been underestimatingperfect progressive
-
has been underestimatingperfect progressive
Past
-
underestimatedsimple
-
had underestimatedperfect
-
was underestimatingprogressive
-
were underestimatingprogressive
-
had been underestimatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of underestimate
Explanation
To underestimate is to guess that something is worth less or is smaller than it really is. You might underestimate the size of a one-pound hamburger until you realize it's too big to fit in your stomach. When you "estimate" you take a guess at something, and when you underestimate, your guess falls short or below. If you underestimate how much something costs, you might show up at a store without enough money, and if you underestimate the strength of an opponent who is small, you might find yourself on the ground wondering what hit you. Often when we "assume" something, we make a guess based on how things appear — that's one way to underestimate.
Vocabulary lists containing underestimate
NAEP Test Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
When Stars Are Scattered
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Out of My Mind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Rauh says that might be a substantial underestimate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Hubris leads people and nations to overestimate what their power can accomplish and to underestimate the effectiveness of their opponents’ response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Their analysis found that conventional assessments underestimate total heat exposure by more than 150% on average, a difference that could have important consequences for understanding ecosystem health.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
That’s an important consideration for retirees, who often underestimate their long-term costs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
“You underestimate Francis,” I said to Charles, in a calm, quiet voice.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Subsequent research has shown that these forces had a much greater impact than was historically acknowledged, suggesting that many early population figures were already substantial underestimates.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
“Their greatest advantage is that the Western world underestimates them.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Humanitarian workers on the ground have said they believe the official figures are underestimates.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
That there are really only two options for communication vastly underestimates dogs’ communicative potential.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
Arguably, Mauer underestimates the scope of the challenge by focusing narrowly on the prison system, rather than counting all of the people employed in the criminal justice bureaucracy.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But we may have underestimated how far the world’s wealthiest man and his ilk would go to prevent audiences from seeing it.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
The older method generally underestimated how many calories participants absorbed.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Value-added taxes were also missing their targets, the memo said, while the cost of government spending had been underestimated by 3 billion euros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
I think punk was underestimated because, look, it’s 50 years later and we’re still here.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
“I must apologize. I think we have all underestimated a member of our class.”
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
Fashion giants on both sides of the Atlantic are underestimating the Chinese shopper at their own peril.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“But the good news is that momentum in these data are underestimating overall consumption due to strength in auto sales and resilience in services spending,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
“While gold and silver have rebounded in recent weeks, we continue to believe the market is underestimating the implications of growing fiscal deficits, elevated debt levels, and currency debasement,” the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
A major reason for von Ahlen’s call is that he thinks the market is underestimating the relative weakness of the U.K. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
After a few weeks my fevers became more pronounced, and my mother realized that because I am large and active for my age she’d been underestimating my dosage of quinine.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
