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

See Examples For:

underperform

“Weak balance sheets, high-beta growth, and low quality earnings factors started to underperform even as the S&P 500 advanced and growth strengthened,” they said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Macquarie downgrades AGL to underperform from neutral, stating that Australia’s electricity market is structurally oversupplied.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

If employers are lax in their oversight, workers might find themselves overpaying to invest in funds that underperform.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Improving investor sentiment around Tesla stemming from the merger speculation might be overly optimistic, they say, maintaining their underperform rating and $280 price target.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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