underestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
to make too low an estimate of
he underestimated the cost
-
to think insufficiently highly of
to underestimate a person
noun
Usage
Underestimate is sometimes wrongly used where overestimate is meant: the importance of his work cannot be overestimated (not cannot be underestimated )
Other Word Forms
- underestimation noun
Etymology
Origin of underestimate
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.
This is a far higher proportion than we would see if Wall Street analysts were equally likely to overestimate earnings as underestimate them.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Sports underestimate their human elements, the tics and oddities that make them unique.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
When she leaves - 27 years later - she'll act as a mentor for new MSPs after the election and will tell them not to underestimate what can be achieved.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
The Iranian capacity for responding with with its drone capabilities is limited, he believes, and people underestimate the destruction wreaked by America’s B-52 bombers.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
“I underestimate him? Are you serious? He underestimates me.”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
