Standard Lemma guide

undersell

verb · 4 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.
  • rhymes with -ɛl
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 N D ER0 S EH2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To sell goods for a lower price than a competitor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Our price-match guarantee: we will not be undersold!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undercut

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To sell something for less than its value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To put forward an idea, or to market a new product (or oneself), with insufficient enthusiasm or excessive understatement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: sell short
  • don't undersell it
  • don't undersell yourself

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sell short

Antonyms: oversell

4

verb

Meaning 4

sell cheaper than one's competition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undercut

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sell

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 sell English undersell From under- + sell.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: myydä halvemmalla — to sell for a lower price than a competitor
  • Finnish: myydä alihintaan — to sell something for less than its value
  • Finnish: alimyydä — to put forward an idea, or to market a new product with insufficient enthusiasm