Standard Lemma guide

underperform

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 N D ER0 P ER0 F AO2 R M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations, especially with respect to a financial investment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

perform too rarely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her plays are underperformed, although they are very good

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: perform

3

verb

Meaning 3

perform less well or with less success than expected

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • John consistently underachieves, although he is very able
  • My stocks underperformed last year

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: underachieve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: do, perform

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English perform English underperform From under- + perform.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 表現不佳 /表现不佳 (biǎoxiàn bùjiā) — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Finnish: alisuoriutua — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Finnish: alisuorittaa — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • German: but see hinter den Erwartungen zurückbleiben — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • German: die Erwartungen enttäuschen — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • German: unterdurchschnittlich abschneiden — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Polish: but see dokonywać — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Polish: dokonać — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Romanian: subperforma — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Spanish: menosdesempeñarse — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Spanish: menosdesempeñar — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations
  • Swedish: underprestera — underachieve; to fail to reach standards or expectations