lowball

American  

[loh-bawl] / ˈloʊˌbɔl /

noun

1. Cards. a game of draw poker in which the player having the lowest-ranking hand wins the pot.

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verb (used with object)

1. to deliberately estimate a lower price for (a service or merchandise) than one intends to charge.

   to lowball the cost of a move.

2. to give a false estimate or bid for.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in lowballing.

adjective

1. engaged in or characteristic of lowballing.

   a lowball bid.

lowball British  

/ ˈləʊˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a game of poker in which the player with the lowest hand wins

2. 1. a very low estimate or offer

   2. ( as modifier )

      a lowball bid

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verb

1. (tr) to make a very low estimate or offer for (a service, product, company, etc)

Etymology

Origin of lowball

low ¹ + ball ¹

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Explanation

When you lowball someone, you attempt to buy something from them by offering a lot less money than it's actually worth. If you want to buy a car that you can't quite afford, you might decide to lowball. Whether you estimate something's value, make an offer to buy something, or try to hire a worker for a very small salary, you lowball. The word works as an adjective too: "He was selling fancy lemonade for two dollars a cup, but I made him a lowball offer, since I only had a quarter in my pocket." This informal slang word was coined in the US, from a railroad term.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lowball

"We're under a continual pressure to lowball ourselves and do prices we were doing 15 years ago, even though fuel prices are at an all time high," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

But even those lowball official projections may not be low enough, writes Stephen Brown, deputy chief North America economist at Capital Economics.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

So when applicants lowball, they may end up pricing themselves well below what the company actually budgeted to pay.

From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2026

Should one give a lowball forecast to investors only to over deliver later, or be ambitious and do everything possible to stick to the promised goal?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026

But the investigation into the fire’s cause is not yet complete, and some lawyers have advised clients not to accept what they consider a lowball offer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2025

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