underestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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
- underestimation noun
Etymology
Origin of underestimate
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.
“We didn’t underestimate them. The last game was very close because we got in foul trouble and we weren’t going to let that happen again.”
From Los Angeles Times
As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics might have underestimated inflation in October and November, critics say.
From MarketWatch
"The cold is a very insidious enemy, it should not be underestimated," she said.
From Barron's
He stressed that the psychological damage shouldn't be underestimated.
From BBC
We can’t underestimate the legacy of the citizen uprising of 1972, along with the creation of an agency dedicated to coastal conservation.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
