underwhelm

American  

[uhn-der-hwelm, -welm] / ˌʌn dərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlm /

verb (used with object)

Informal.

1. to fail to interest or astonish.

   After all the ballyhoo, most critics were underwhelmed by the movie.

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underwhelm British  

/ ˌʌndəˈwɛlm /

verb

1. (tr) to make no positive impact or impression on; disappoint

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Usage

What’s the difference between underwhelm and overwhelm? The under- in underwhelm essentially means “too little” and the over- in overwhelm means “too much,” and two words can be direct opposites, but they’re usually used in different contexts.Underwhelm means to fail to impress, especially when that is the expectation. Overwhelm most commonly means to cause to be overcome with emotion as a result of an amount of something (work, stress, etc.) that’s just too much to handle. (It can also mean to overpower or physically cover beneath a mass of something).Both words are often used in adjective forms: underwhelmed (unimpressed or disappointed), underwhelming (unimpressive or disappointing), overwhelmed (overcome to the point of not being able to manage), and overwhelming (describing something that leads to feeling overwhelmed).Being overwhelmed isn’t always about stress or other negative emotions. You could be overwhelmed by a friend’s generosity or the birth of a child. Still, it’s usually about feeling a lot. In this way, underwhelm can be the opposite of overwhelm in some situations. For example, the same concert may overwhelm one person (perhaps it’s the first concert they’ve ever attended) but underwhelm someone else (maybe because it doesn’t meet their high expectations).And, yes, whelm is a word. It can mean the same thing as overwhelm, but it’s very rarely used.Here’s an example of underwhelm and overwhelm used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I never want to underwhelm the fans, and sometimes that pressure can overwhelm me, but it all goes away when I walk on stage.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between underwhelm and overwhelm.

Etymology

Origin of underwhelm

First recorded in 1945–50; under- + (over)whelm

Example Sentences

Trade Desk’s outlook on adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization also underwhelmed.

From MarketWatch

Mitchell's absence raises the prospect of an entirely new half-back partnership starting 7 March's meeting with Italy, with George Ford coming under pressure from fly-half rival Fin Smith after an underwhelming performance against Ireland.

From BBC

However, their attacking output this season has been underwhelming and they would need to average 2.45 goals per game in their forthcoming fixtures to match the same tally as the previous campaign.

From BBC

CoStar Group has had its pick of headaches: pushback from activists, a depressed stock price, and an underwhelming start to the year for the housing market.

From Barron's

Without improvement this will likely be a fourth underwhelming major tournament in a row since they won the T20 World Cup in 2022.

From BBC