Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for underestimate. Search instead for under estimated.
Synonyms

underestimate

American  
[uhn-der-es-tuh-meyt, uhn-der-es-tuh-mit, -meyt] / ˌʌn dərˈɛs təˌmeɪt, ˌʌn dərˈɛs tə mɪt, -ˌmeɪt /

verb (used with object)

underestimated, underestimating

  1. to estimate at too low a value, rate, or the like.

    Synonyms:
    miscalculate, misjudge, underrate, undervalue

verb (used without object)

underestimated, underestimating

  1. to make an estimate lower than that which would be correct.

noun

  1. an estimate that is too low.

underestimate British  
/ ˌʌndərˈɛstɪˌmeɪt /

verb

  1. to make too low an estimate of

    he underestimated the cost

  2. to think insufficiently highly of

    to underestimate a person
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. too low an estimate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

  • underestimation noun

Etymology

Origin of underestimate

First recorded in 1805–15; under- + estimate

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.

Traders should not underestimate what a long weekend could bring.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Japan may not be considered a global footballing powerhouse - but underestimate them at your peril.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Sports underestimate their human elements, the tics and oddities that make them unique.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Never underestimate the passion of Brazil, which helped power “I’m Still Here” to a win here last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

“Don’t underestimate me, child. I will not tolerate insubordination. Do I make myself clear?”

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions 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.