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Synonyms

underweight

American  
[uhn-der-weyt, uhn-der-weyt] / ˈʌn dərˈweɪt, ˈʌn dərˌweɪt /

adjective

  1. weighing less than is usual, required, or proper.

noun

  1. deficiency in weight below a standard or requirement.

underweight British  
/ ˌʌndəˈweɪt /

adjective

  1. weighing less than is average, expected, or healthy

  2. finance

    1. having a lower proportion of one's investments in a particular sector of the market than the size of that sector relative to the total market would suggest

    2. (of a fund etc) disproportionately invested in this way

      pension funds have become underweight of equities
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of underweight

First recorded in 1590–1600; under- + weight

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.

The largest discrepancy appeared in the underweight group.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

They’re underweight other fixed-income while still liking U.S. stocks, citing their more defensive nature versus other regions, positive operating leverage, pro-cyclical policy and the potential for AI-driven efficiency gains.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

It reiterates its underweight ratings on Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, ZIM and Kuehne+Nagel stocks and its overweight stance on DSV and DHL.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Treasurys from neutral to underweight, saying the U.S. bond market is the only one that is still pricing in Fed rate cuts.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Everyone seemed to want her opinion—about their burns, their heart tremors, their underweight infants.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.