underrate

American  

[uhn-der-reyt] / ˌʌn dərˈreɪt /

verb (used with object)

underrated, underrating

1. to rate or evaluate too low; underestimate.

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underrate British  

/ ˌʌndəˈreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to underestimate

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Etymology

Origin of underrate

First recorded in 1615–25; under- + rate ¹

Explanation

To underrate something is to underestimate its value. If critics underrate a great movie, they don't give it enough credit for its brilliant acting and well-written script. If most people underrate the Polish restaurant in your neighborhood, they'll be pleasantly surprised once they give it a try. High school football players tend to underrate the importance of gracefulness in their sport, and your math teacher may underrate the amount of time it takes you to do your calculus homework. The verb underrate has been around since the 1640's, although back then it was generally spelled with a hyphen: under-rate.

Example Sentences

“I think a lot of people underrate my speed, my explosiveness,’’ he said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2024

“It made me realize that we often ignore and underrate highly populated places for ichthyological exploratory studies. We now understand not to leave any stones unturned.”

From Scientific American • Mar. 25, 2022

When it comes to Lloyd Webber’s musical audacity, it can sometimes feel as if it’s not just rock snobs that underrate “Superstar,” but also self-professed musical theater lovers.

From New York Times • Oct. 12, 2021

So you can’t underrate how massive this win was.

From Fox News • Oct. 10, 2021

He accompanied them as far as the end of the wood with all the cheerfulness he could muster; only begging Hazel, out of hearing of the rest, not to underrate the danger.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• underestimate
• underprice
• undervalue