undersized
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of undersized
Explanation
The adjective undersized describes something that is smaller than usual. Your Great Dane is undersized if he fits comfortably on your lap. A normal pony might weigh 450 pounds, while an undersized pony could be only 200 pounds. When something is undersized, it is smaller than average, often significantly smaller. An undersized t-shirt will be skin tight, and an undersized car might draw curious stares as it drives past. It's also correct to say undersize, although undersized is more common.
Vocabulary lists containing undersized
Kindred
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under (below)
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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.
Despite pundits raising questions about the Knicks and their undersized 6-foot-2-inch superstar Jalen Brunson, the ball didn’t lie.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
He started his playing career as an undersized, undrafted winger buried on the fourth line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The film, the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team, features Curry in a voice role.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
He took a roster of overlooked and undersized misfits and molded them into a wrecking machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
He tried to remember that Fiver was undersized and that they had had an anxious time and were all weary.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
