underestimate
verb (used with object)
to estimate at too low a value, rate, or the like.
had underestimated
-
past perfectof underestimate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
In the case of AF447, the French court found that Airbus had long known that a critical airspeed sensor on the A330 jet was prone to freezing, and had underestimated the risk that it posed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
He says the Tatas had "underestimated the problems they inherited with the legacy carrier", and Wilson was unable to build a team quickly enough after coming in to set things in order.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
In New York City, low annual estimates from the 2010s shaped the city’s politics and sense of self, before the 2020 Census revealed that they had underestimated the population by 550,000 people!
From Slate ● May 16, 2025
This was true, but we had underestimated two variables: December in Chicago and our motivation to schlep boxes after a seven-hour drive in a U-haul.
From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2024
They had underestimated him in sending out an old, well-used Cadillac ambulance.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
