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
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.
