underperform
gb/ˈʌndɚpɚfˌɔɹm/ us/ˈʌndɚpɚfˌɔɹm/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
perform below expectations
to not do as well as people expected or as well as you could
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] underperforms; underperform in/on [something]
Common mistake:
Do not use it simply to mean “perform” or “work less.” It means the result or performance is worse than expected.
Synonyms
fall short (common phrase meaning to fail to reach the expected standard)
|
disappoint (emphasizes the negative reaction caused by poor results)
|
do poorly (simpler and more general)
Antonyms
overperform (to do better than expected or better than a benchmark)
|
excel (to do extremely well)
|
meet expectations (to achieve the expected standard, not below it)
Collocations
consistently underperform
|badly underperform
|continue to underperform
|underperform in school
|underperform at work
|underperform on tests
|underperform expectations
|underperform compared with peers
Themes
work
|education
|sports
|performance
Examples
- The team underperformed all season despite having several talented players.
- Students often underperform on exams when they are anxious or tired.
- The new product underperformed because it was too expensive for most customers.
Learner examples
- I studied a lot, but I underperformed on the test.
- The team underperformed this year.
Verb
business
C1
relation
2
do worse than a benchmark
to do worse than something you are compared with, especially in business or finance
Usage pattern:
[company/asset/fund] underperforms [benchmark/market/competitor]
Common mistake:
In finance, the object is often the comparison point: “The fund underperformed the market,” not “underperformed than the market.”
Synonyms
lag (emphasizes being behind others or a benchmark)
|
trail (often used for being behind in rankings or results)
|
do worse than (plain, general wording)
Antonyms
outperform (to achieve better results or returns than a benchmark)
|
beat (informal/business term for doing better than a target or comparison)
|
exceed (to go beyond a standard, target, or expectation)
Collocations
underperform the market
|underperform the index
|underperform a benchmark
|underperform rivals
|underperform peers
|shares underperformed
|stocks underperformed
|funds underperformed
|underperform the sector
Themes
business
|finance
|markets
|comparison
Examples
- The fund underperformed the S&P 500 for the third year in a row.
- Retail stocks underperformed the broader market after weak holiday sales.
- Our European division underperformed its main competitors last quarter.
Learner examples
- The stock underperformed the market.
- The company underperformed its rivals.
Grammar
Dictionary form
underperform
IPA
GB/ˈʌndɚpɚfˌɔɹm/
US/ˈʌndɚpɚfˌɔɹm/
Syllables & stress
un - der - per - form (4 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (un)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: underperform
- 3rd Person Singular: underperforms
- Present Participle: underperforming
- Past: underperformed
- Past Participle: underperformed
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.