underestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
underestimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underestimated,
past participle, past
-
underestimating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
underestimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
underestimated,
past participle, past
-
underestimating
present participle
noun
-
underestimates
plural
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
-
underestimatesimple
-
underestimatessimple
-
have underestimatedperfect
-
has underestimatedperfect
-
am underestimatingprogressive
-
are underestimatingprogressive
-
is underestimatingprogressive
-
have been underestimatingperfect progressive
-
has been underestimatingperfect progressive
Past
-
underestimatedsimple
-
had underestimatedperfect
-
was underestimatingprogressive
-
were underestimatingprogressive
-
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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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.
See Examples For:
Asked if Isar could one day be valued at 100 billion euros, Metzler said "people massively underestimate the potential of space".
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
To call California the “Golden State” is to underestimate its assets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Because people may forget foods, underestimate portions, or inaccurately report their habits, these estimates may not perfectly reflect actual sweetener consumption.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
"You can't underestimate the PR machine that some clubs and some players are going to use," added French football journalist Julien Laurens.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
“I’m not; I won’t. All I’m saying is, don’t underestimate them.”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
"Keeping scale-ups on the fringes underestimates the contribution of our greatest companies, and we need to support and develop them on British shores at all costs," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Subsequent research has shown that these forces had a much greater impact than was historically acknowledged, suggesting that many early population figures were already substantial underestimates.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Yass said fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos, if anything, underestimates his contribution to the U.S. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
“We believe the Street still underestimates the sustainability of margin recovery,” Tarlowe writes, adding $3 to his price target, to $245, and reiterating a Buy rating.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
I would like to say that he underestimates me, but that would be a lie.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Whittle, who employs a range of staff, said customers often underestimated the work and expense involved.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
In the past, people who received the tax credits but underestimated their income didn’t have to pay back the full amount.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Justice Kagan noticed the problem, but underestimated it.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
“And that’s a testament to Cole writing something very true and anchored in real emotion. I think anyone who has ever felt underestimated or misunderstood or overlooked can really identify with this role.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
That just shows how swell-headed I was, and how I underestimated Grandpa.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Jim O'Neill, an economist and former Treasury minister, said: "I'm not surprised. People were, and to a lesser extent, are, underestimating the improving momentum in the UK,"
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Are we underestimating the financial consequences of one of us dying relatively soon, or of either of us requiring long-term care?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
People overestimate the benefits of new technology in the short term, while underestimating the gains over the long term, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fashion giants on both sides of the Atlantic are underestimating the Chinese shopper at their own peril.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Of course. Pyce took us once unawares, but we won’t make the mistake of underestimating him again.”
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
