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underwhelm

[ uhn-der-hwelm, -welm ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈʰwɛlm, -ˈwɛlm /
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verb (used with object) Informal.

to fail to interest or astonish: After all the ballyhoo, most critics were underwhelmed by the movie.

RELATED CONTENT

Overwhelm vs. UnderwhelmOverwhelm vs. Underwhelm. These two might seem like straightforward antonyms, but there are a few differences to keep in mind.
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RELATED WORDS

disappoint, baffle, balk, confound, dismay, displease, lower, depress, disenchant

Nearby words

  1. underwater,
  2. underway,
  3. underwear,
  4. underweight,
  5. underwent,
  6. underwhelmed,
  7. underwhelming,
  8. underwing,
  9. underwire,
  10. underwithhold

Origin of underwhelm

First recorded in 1945–50; under- + (over)whelm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for underwhelmed

British Dictionary definitions for underwhelmed

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
Word Origin and History for underwhelmed

underwhelm

v.

1953 (implied in underwhelming), a facetious play on overwhelm. Related: Underwhelmed; underwhelmingly.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper