underperform

verb

un·​der·​per·​form ˌən-dər-pər-ˈfȯrm 

-pə-ˈfȯrm

underperformed; underperforming; underperforms

transitive verb

: to do worse than

intransitive verb

: to fail to do as well as expected

underperformance

ˌən-dər-pər-ˈfȯr-mən(t)s 

-pə-ˈfȯr-

noun

underperformer noun

Examples of underperform in a Sentence

The report shows which schools are underperforming.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even though Snow White was positioned as a family-friendly musical — one that should’ve generated a fair amount of excitement from fans and Disney devotees — the soundtrack is underperforming in a big way. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The company has quietly pulled back on data center commitments, tensions with OpenAI have surfaced, and Microsoft’s stock has underperformed other tech giants despite its early AI leadership. —Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025

In Florida, Republicans completely underperformed in districts Trump carried last November. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025

But the pace of hiring has slowed significantly in the past year and Colorado is underperforming the country as a whole. —Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for underperform

• cuneiform
• iodoform
• nonuniform
• brainstorm
• conform
• deform
• firestorm
• hailstorm
• inform
• landform
• lukewarm
• perform