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
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has underestimatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have underestimatedperfect
-
are underestimatingprogressive
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is underestimatingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
underestimatingparticiple
-
underestimatessingular 3rd person
-
am underestimatingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been underestimatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been underestimatingperfect progressive
Past
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had underestimatedperfect
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was underestimatingprogressive singular
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had been underestimatingperfect progressive
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were underestimatingprogressive plural
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underestimatedsimple
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underestimatedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of underestimate
Explanation
To underestimate is to guess that something is worth less or is smaller than it really is. You might underestimate the size of a one-pound hamburger until you realize it's too big to fit in your stomach. When you "estimate" you take a guess at something, and when you underestimate, your guess falls short or below. If you underestimate how much something costs, you might show up at a store without enough money, and if you underestimate the strength of an opponent who is small, you might find yourself on the ground wondering what hit you. Often when we "assume" something, we make a guess based on how things appear — that's one way to underestimate.
Vocabulary lists containing underestimate
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When Stars Are Scattered
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Out of My Mind
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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.
Citi analyst Atif Malik believes investors underestimate AMD’s potential to exceed $50 billion in GPU sales by 2028.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
Callum's advice for people hoping to land an internship is to not "underestimate how useful it is to do an internship just because it's temporary".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“A lot of people underestimate how difficult it is for us to get there,” said Dickerson.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
It simply means that we underestimate the likelihood that reaching out will turn out well and that our cost-benefit calculation might be miscalibrated.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
“I’m not; I won’t. All I’m saying is, don’t underestimate them.”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
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.
