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Showing results for underweight. Search instead for underweights.
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.

A team of strategists at Deutsche Bank said discretionary investors were already clearly underweight stocks, according to their in-house data — although they had room to further reduce their exposure.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

MS has an underweight rating and A$34.40 target price on the stock, which is up 0.65% at A$40.725.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 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

Wells Fargo downgraded Conagra Brands, Campbell’s, and General Mills to underweight due to inflation and economic concerns.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

The next hurdle was the horse’s sore and underweight body.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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.