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underwhelm

[ uhn-der-hwelm, -welm ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlm /
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See synonyms for: underwhelm / underwhelmed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object) Informal.
to fail to interest or astonish: After all the ballyhoo, most critics were underwhelmed by the movie.
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Origin of underwhelm

First recorded in 1945–50; under- + (over)whelm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use underwhelm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underwhelm

underwhelm
/ (ˌʌndəˈwɛlm) /

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

Word Origin for underwhelm

C20: originally a humorous coinage based on overwhelm
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
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