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.
“People underestimate how improbable the improbable is,” says Christian Busch, a University of Southern California business-school professor and the author of “The Serendipity Mindset.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Traders should not underestimate what a long weekend could bring.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The Iranian capacity for responding with with its drone capabilities is limited, he believes, and people underestimate the destruction wreaked by America’s B-52 bombers.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
But Wiegman flatly refused to underestimate Iceland, who have qualified for the last five European Championships but have never made a Women's World Cup finals.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
But no one should ever underestimate the harm that fingernails can do, especially if the target is unprepared.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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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.