underpay

American  

[uhn-der-pey] / ˌʌn dərˈpeɪ /

verb (used with object)

underpaid, underpaying

1. to pay less than is deserved or usual.

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underpay British  

/ ˌʌndəˈpeɪ /

verb

1. to pay (someone) insufficiently

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Other Word Forms

• underpayment noun

Etymology

Origin of underpay

First recorded in 1840–50; under- + pay ¹

Example Sentences

Sting has paid his former bandmates in The Police more than half a million pounds after acknowledging underpaying royalties, court documents show.

From BBC

If this feels familiar —if you’re feeling tired, hungry and underpaid all at once—let me just say: you’re not imagining it.

From Salon

The potential downside of a miscalculation on withholdings could be underpaying your taxes, leading to stiff tax liabilities and possibly a penalty.

From MarketWatch

By next season, he won’t be an underpaid star on his original rookie contract.

From Los Angeles Times

There have always been people working in California’s fields that are underpaid and underappreciated, and in some ways, things have only gotten worse for a lot of that population.

From Los Angeles Times