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underperform

American  
[uhn-der-per-fawrm] / ˌʌn dər pərˈfɔrm /

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to perform less well than (another of its kind, a general average, etc.) or less well than expected.

    Surprisingly, the stock has underperformed the market indexes all year. Several of our best players consistently underperform.


Other Word Forms

  • underperformance noun

Etymology

Origin of underperform

under- + perform

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 consumer discretionary sector has historically tended to underperform when oil prices rise significantly, and that pattern has not changed since the U.S. became a net petroleum exporter in 2020.”

From Barron's

Investors on the platform appeared to underperform the broader market.

From Barron's

The copper-to-gold ratio provides a macro perspective: when copper underperforms, as it is doing now, it points to a weakening economy.

From Barron's

This can end up hurting long-term returns, with the timer underperforming an investor who stayed put.

From MarketWatch

Yet in the state election barely a year later, the AfD at around 18% slightly underperformed its vote share in the state in the national election.

From The Wall Street Journal