underestimate
Other forms: underestimated; underestimating; underestimates
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.
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make too low an estimate of“he underestimated the work that went into the renovation”“Don't underestimate the danger of such a raft trip on this river”synonyms: underrateantonyms:overestimatemake too high an estimate oftypes:sell shortunderestimate the real value or ability oftype of:misjudgejudge incorrectly
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assign too low a value to“Don't underestimate the value of this heirloom-you may sell it at a good price”synonyms: undervalueantonyms:overestimateassign too high a value totype of:valuefix or determine the value of; assign a value to
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make a deliberately low estimate
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an estimation that is too low; an estimate that is less than the true or actual valuesynonyms: underestimation, underrating, underreckoning
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Vocabulary lists containing underestimate
Words included in the 2009 and 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests of fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade vocabulary. Read about the test here.
In this memoir, told in graphic form, Omar Mohamed recounts his life as a Somalian refugee in Kenya.
Based on the autobiography of Helen Keller (The Story of My Life), this play explores how teacher Annie Sullivan helps a deaf and blind child develop the skills she needs to cope and to communicate.