underestimate
gb/ˈʌndɚˈɛstəmˌeɪt/ us/ˈʌndɚˈɛstəmˌeɪt/
B1
Engleză
~ 7600
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Verb
B1
action
1
judge something as too low
to think something is less big, less important, less serious, or less difficult than it really is
Tipar de utilizare:
to underestimate [something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *"underestimate about"* (e.g. *"We underestimated about the cost"*). In English, *underestimate* is followed directly by the object: *"We underestimated the cost."* Learners also confuse *underestimate* with *misunderstand*: *underestimate* is about size, amount, difficulty, or importance; *misunderstand* is about not understanding the meaning.
Sinonime
underrate (Very close in meaning; often used for importance or impact, slightly more about personal opinion than calculation.)
|
misjudge (Broader; means to judge wrongly in any direction, not only as too low.)
Antonime
overestimate (To judge something as larger, more important, or more serious than it really is.)
|
overstate (To describe something as more important or more serious than it is, especially in speech or writing.)
Colocații
seriously underestimate
|vastly underestimate
|underestimate the cost
|underestimate the difficulty
|underestimate the risks
|underestimate the impact
Teme
thinking
|work
|planning
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- We completely underestimated how long the project would take.
- The government underestimated the cost of the new rail line by several billion dollars.
- Many people underestimate the risks of driving while tired.
- Companies often underestimate the impact of social media on their reputation.
- I think you underestimate how difficult it is to learn a language as an adult.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- I underestimated the time I needed to finish the homework.
- They underestimated the cost of the new house.
- We underestimated the problem, and now it is very serious.
- He underestimated how hard the exam would be.
- People sometimes underestimate the danger of strong wind.
Verb
B2
action
2
judge someone as too weak
to think a person or group is less strong, less smart, or less able than they really are
Tipar de utilizare:
to underestimate [someone/something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes use *underestimate* when they only mean *dislike* or *not respect*, but *underestimate* specifically means to think someone is less strong, less smart, or less able than they are. Also, in friendly talk, *"Don’t underestimate me"* can sound a bit strong or defensive; learners may overuse it where a softer phrase like *"Please trust me"* would be more natural.
Sinonime
undervalue (Focuses more on not recognizing a person’s worth or contribution, especially at work.)
|
discount (Suggests not taking someone seriously or not giving their skills enough weight.)
Antonime
overestimate (To believe someone is more capable or stronger than they really are.)
|
overrate (To have too high an opinion of someone’s ability or importance.)
Colocații
never underestimate [someone]
|seriously underestimate [someone]
|underestimate her abilities
|underestimate their strength
|underestimate the team
|underestimate the opposition
Teme
people
|emotions
|thinking
|relationships
|work
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- Don’t underestimate her; she knows exactly what she’s doing.
- They underestimated their opponents and lost the game badly.
- People often underestimate older workers’ ability to learn new technology.
- He badly underestimated me, and I proved him wrong.
- The company underestimated the new startup and was quickly left behind.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Please don’t underestimate me; I can do this.
- They underestimated the other team and they lost.
- Many people underestimate her because she is quiet.
- He underestimated his brother’s strength.
- We should not underestimate children; they understand a lot.
Substantiv
B2
entity
3
estimate that is too low
a guess or number that is too low and not as big as the real one
Tipar de utilizare:
[something] is an underestimate
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners often confuse *underestimate* (noun) with *underestimation*. Both exist, but *underestimate* is more common when talking about a number or amount (*"an underestimate of the cost"*), while *underestimation* is more common in abstract or formal talk (*"the underestimation of this risk"*). Also, do not say *"an underestimate about"*; use *"an underestimate of"*.
Sinonime
underrating (More about judging importance too low than about specific numbers.)
|
underassessment (More formal and technical; often used in official or academic contexts.)
Antonime
overestimate (As a noun, an estimate that is too high.)
|
overstatement (A description or claim that makes something sound bigger or more important than it is.)
Colocații
a serious underestimate
|a clear underestimate
|a huge underestimate
|an underestimate of the cost
|an underestimate of the time needed
|a slight underestimate
Teme
numbers
|business
|planning
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- Saying the project will cost one million dollars is probably an underestimate.
- The figure of 10,000 refugees is almost certainly an underestimate of the true number.
- Analysts now admit that their original sales forecast was a major underestimate.
- Calling it a problem is an underestimate; it is a full crisis.
- Their estimate of the time needed turned out to be a serious underestimate.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Ten minutes is an underestimate; it will take longer.
- The number in the report is an underestimate of the real cost.
- We made an underestimate of the time for the trip.
- Saying it is "a small problem" is an underestimate.
- Five hundred people is probably an underestimate.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
underestimate
IPA
GB/ˈʌndɚˈɛstəmˌeɪt/
US/ˈʌndɚˈɛstəmˌeɪt/
Silabe și accent
un - der - es - tim - ate (5 silabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (un)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: underestimate
- Plural: underestimates
Verb
- Base: underestimate
- 3rd Person Singular: underestimates
- Present Participle: underestimating
- Past: underestimated
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
underestimates
noun
underestimating
verb
underestimated
verb
Core family
estimate
verb B1
underestimation
noun
Related words
estimation
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
overestimate
verb B2
overestimation
noun
Expresii
never underestimate the power of
1/nˈɛvɚ ˈʌndɚˈɛstəmˌeɪt ðə pˈaʊɚ əv/
fixed phrase
strong warning about real power
used to say that something can have a very big effect, so people should not think it is weak or unimportant
Exemple
- Never underestimate the power of a simple thank-you.
- Politicians often say, "Never underestimate the power of social media."
- Never underestimate the power of small daily habits to change your life.