lowball

[ loh-bawl ]

noun

1. Cards. a game of draw poker in which the player having the lowest-ranking hand wins the pot.

verb (used with object)

1. to deliberately estimate a lower low price for (a service or merchandise) than one intends to charge:

   to lowball the cost of a move.

2. to give a false estimate or bid for.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in lowballing.

adjective

1. engaged in or characteristic of lowballing:

   a lowball bid.

lowball

/ ˈləʊˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a game of poker in which the player with the lowest hand wins
2. 1. a very low estimate or offer
   2. ( as modifier )

      a lowball bid

verb

1. tr to make a very low estimate or offer for (a service, product, company, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of lowball¹

low ¹ + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Several former Twitch staff and members of the streaming industry with knowledge of Twitch’s contract offers say that Lupo, in particular, got “lowballed” by Twitch, which made YouTube’s offer more tantalizing.

From Washington Post

Fifty-eight is definitely a lowball figure, too, he says, but the team wanted to give a conservative estimate, knowing that future researchers will be able to categorize the regions that weren’t as obvious to find.

From Popular-Science

During the permit process, all three projects presented calculations regarding vapor cloud explosions based on small potential spills and the model that critics say lowballs the shock wave emanating from a blast.

From Washington Post

Tech salespeople lowball the cost of service in order to get new customers and then, eventually, have to figure out how to make money on what they sell.

From MIT Technology Review

He also repeatedly lowballed the death count, falsely claiming he saved millions of lives.

From Washington Post

This is likely a lowball number but it has the merit to illustrate the tradeoff that raising the minimum wage requires.

From The Daily Beast

You will probably give him a lowball offer in order to pay less.

From The Daily Beast

But over the last few years, the banks have had two enticing reasons to give lowball answers.

From The Daily Beast