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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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underestimatesimple
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underestimatessimple
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have underestimatedperfect
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has underestimatedperfect
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am underestimatingprogressive
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are underestimatingprogressive
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is underestimatingprogressive
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have been underestimatingperfect progressive
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has been underestimatingperfect progressive
Past
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underestimatedsimple
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had underestimatedperfect
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was underestimatingprogressive
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were underestimatingprogressive
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had been underestimatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of underestimate
Explanation
To underestimate is to guess that something is worth less or is smaller than it really is. You might underestimate the size of a one-pound hamburger until you realize it's too big to fit in your stomach. When you "estimate" you take a guess at something, and when you underestimate, your guess falls short or below. If you underestimate how much something costs, you might show up at a store without enough money, and if you underestimate the strength of an opponent who is small, you might find yourself on the ground wondering what hit you. Often when we "assume" something, we make a guess based on how things appear — that's one way to underestimate.
Vocabulary lists containing underestimate
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When Stars Are Scattered
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Out of My Mind
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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.
The French health ministry said the figure was likely an "underestimate" and mortality would "therefore be higher than these initial figures".
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
Yet to think of the contrast between the two places only in these terms is to underestimate the stupendous achievement we commemorate this weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Don’t underestimate healthcare costs if your husband decides to join you in retirement and you don’t have the benefit — or luxury — of his workplace healthcare plan, assuming he has one.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
But I would not underestimate Siebel Newsom, who showed her strength when she testified against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, laying out publicly a private, painful tale.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
“I do. Don’t underestimate your teammates, Silas. That’s the same thing I said to you about your parents. Don’t underestimate the Renegades; don’t underestimate Gil and Erica.”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
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.
