underestimate

verb

ˌən-dər-ˈe-stə-ˌmāt How to pronounce underestimate (audio)
Definition of underestimatenext
as in to minimize
to place too low a value on we had underestimated her ability to raise the start-up money for her own design firm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of underestimate The findings imply that some cosmological models may underestimate just how important the radiation emitted by stars and the chemical changes in gas around galaxies are to cosmic evolution. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026 The New Yorker Min Jin Lee was underestimated for half her life. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 That means the waste-reduction value of planning AI is underestimated, energy use is scrutinized in isolation and tool-selection decisions are made with no sustainability lens at all. — Mikko Karkkainen, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Never underestimate the power of a simple greeting or the flash of a smile. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underestimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underestimate
  1. minimize
  2. underrate
  3. undervalue
Verb
  • The Bonding Shampoo gently cleanses hair and scalp, while the Hair Bonding Treatment delivers a more intensive dose of the brand’s Peptide-132 complex to help strengthen damaged strands and minimize breakage and split ends.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Federal wildlife managers euthanized 28,000 animals in California in 2025 and dispersed about 1 million more as part of a nationwide program meant to control invasive species and minimize danger to people, pets and livestock, new data shows.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimize
Verb
  • The thing people always underrate about the 2000s is how many of us were not going to the movies to feel good.
    — Darren Franich, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Amazon’s jewelry selection is hugely underrated, in my humble opinion, and this $10 layered necklace is a pretty good example of why.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of underrate
Verb
  • The Cubs have been able to find pitchers who were undervalued over the years and maximize their talent, but at some point, there needs to be more certainty.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • To call the poems poignant would be to undervalue their direct power.
    — Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of undervalue

Browse Nearby Words

underemployed
underestimate
underestimated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underestimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underestimate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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