underrate

verb

un·​der·​rate ˌən-dər-ˈrāt 

ˌən-də-

underrated; underrating; underrates

transitive verb

: to rate or value (something or someone) too low : undervalue

His off-the-cuff improvisations, his airy tendency to throw out half-baked ideas, caused others to underrate his continuity of purpose …

—Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

As I watched the film for the first time …, it seemed to me that its effect was to exploit innocence and violence in ways that overrate the power of the first and underrate the complexity of the second …

—Vincent Canby

see also underrated

Synonyms

• underestimate
• undervalue

Examples of underrate in a Sentence

She underrated her student's ability.

it's perhaps the most underrated film of the last decade

Recent Examples on the Web

Compensatory picks, while typically lower rounds are definitely underrated by the casual fan. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025

Gilpin, underrated in many projects, is a knockout, balancing most of the show on her character's twittering and anxious shoulders. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025

Madewell Black Friday bag deals Madewell's bag selection is underrated. —Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2024

Many are underrating the Huskies due to their up-and-down season but experience does play here. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for underrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

underrate

verb

un·​der·​rate ˌən-də(r)-ˈrāt 

: to rate too low : undervalue