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Showing results for underweight. Search instead for under-weight.
Synonyms

underweight

American  
[uhn-der-weyt, uhn-der-weyt] / ˈʌn dərˈweɪt, ˈʌn dərˌweɪt /

adjective

  1. weighing less than is usual, required, or proper.

noun

  1. deficiency in weight below a standard or requirement.

underweight British  
/ ˌʌndəˈweɪt /

adjective

  1. weighing less than is average, expected, or healthy

  2. finance

    1. having a lower proportion of one's investments in a particular sector of the market than the size of that sector relative to the total market would suggest

    2. (of a fund etc) disproportionately invested in this way

      pension funds have become underweight of equities
"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

Etymology

Origin of underweight

First recorded in 1590–1600; under- + weight

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.

Lowering his recommendation to underweight from equal-weight, analyst Richard E. Wiles tells clients in a note that the probability of both earnings downgrades and trading multiple de-ratings across the sector is rising.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

It uses an individual’s weight and height to calculate a figure that fits into one of four categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

Morgan Stanley double-downgrades its outlook for the European software sector to underweight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

A look under the hood suggests why: Technology and communications stocks represent 51% of its portfolio, which constitute 43% of the S&P 500, while it is underweight in energy, industrials, and materials.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

It found that about two thirds of those surveyed were stunted or underweight.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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.