underrated
Americanadjective
verb
Usage
What does underrated mean? If you call something underrated, it means you think the general opinion about it is lower than it should be. Underrated is an adjective, but is also the past tense of the verb underrate. It is somewhat more common to call something underrated than to say that people underrate it, but both are used. The opposite of underrated is overrated, which is perhaps more commonly used. Example: I think Brussels sprouts are an underrated food.
Etymology
Origin of underrated
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.
Better that they didn’t recognize the mellow greatness of OG Anunoby, the most underrated talent in the game.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The twin told her that her self-evaluation underrated her accomplishments, because she played down her pivotal role in drafting two successful client proposals.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Beyond the usual suspects, could Rose Byrne’s Oscar and Tonys profile boost her chances for the underrated ‘Platonic’?”
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Then comes the pico de gallo, which may be one of the most underrated grocery-store shortcuts of all time: tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeños already chopped and ready to collapse into something savory.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
His heroes, notwithstanding the underrated John Field, were Mozart and Bach, composers in whose music dignity was everything.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
