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.

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Other Word Forms

• underperformance noun

Etymology

Origin of underperform

under- + perform

Example Sentences

An analysis by RenMac found that stocks doubling rapidly tend to underperform over the subsequent 36 months.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

As a result, 3i is likely to underperform market expectations in the near-term, Dhar adds. 3i shares tumble 14.8%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

He says that while BHP tends to underperform in bull markets, it typically significantly outperforms in bear markets and throughout commodity cycles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

She has an underperform rating and $56 price target on the stock, implying she thinks shares could fall more than 30% from their current price of $84.41.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

They would bet, for instance, that bonds with large numbers of loans made in California would underperform bonds with very little of California in them.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis