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

The S&P 500’s 9% rise this year is largely due to a 25% tech sector increase, while other key sectors underperform.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Macquarie Capital initiates coverage of Laopu Gold with an underperform rating and HK$453.00 target price.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Macquarie reiterates an underperform rating on the stock and trims its target by 3.7% to A$1.30/share, citing a lower cash balance.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Credit-research company CreditSights reiterated its underperform rating on Meta’s bonds on Thursday, saying that the price of Meta’s bonds might drop because the company is flooding the market with debt.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 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