An estimation that is too low; an estimate that is less than the true or actual value.

synonyms: underestimation, underrating, underreckoning.

Assign too low a value to:
— Don't underestimate the value of this heirloom-you may sell it at a good price.

synonym: undervalue.

Roget 481: misjudge, misestimate, misthink^†, misconjecture^†, misconceive etc. (error) 495; fly in the face of facts; miscalculate, misreckon, miscompute.    overestimate etc. 482; underestimate etc. 483.    prejudge, forejudge; presuppose, presume, prejudicate^†; dogmatize; have a bias etc. n.; have only one idea; jurare in verba magistri [Lat.], run away with the notion; jump to a conclusion, rush to a conclusion, leap to a conclusion, judge hastily, shoot from the hip, jump to conclusions; look only at one side of the shield; view with jaundiced eye, view through distorting spectacles; not see beyond one's nose; dare pondus fumo [Lat.]; get the wrong sow by the ear etc. (blunder) 699.    give a bias, give a twist; bias, warp, twist; prejudice, prepossess.    ... show more

Roget 930: despise, contemn, scorn, disdain, feel contempt for, view with a scornful eye; disregard, slight, not mind; pass by etc. (neglect) 460.    look down upon; hold cheap, hold in contempt, hold in disrespect; think nothing of, think small beer of; make light of; underestimate etc. 483; esteem slightly, esteem of small or no account; take no account of, care nothing for; set no store by; not care a straw, sneeze at etc. (unimportance) 643; set at naught, laugh in one's sleeve, laugh up one's sleeve, snap one's fingers at, shrug one's shoulders, turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh, damn with faint praise" [Pope]; whistle at, sneer at; curl up one's lip, toss the head, traiter de haut enbas [Fr.]; laugh at etc. (be disrespectful) 929.    point the finger of scorn, hold up to scorn, laugh to scorn; scout, hoot, flout, hiss, scoff at.    turn one's back upon, turn a cold shoulder upon; tread upon, trample upon, trample under foot; spurn, kick; fling to the winds etc. (repudiate) 610; send away with a flea in the ear.    ... show more

Dutch: onderschatten, onderwaarderen, verslikken

Make a deliberately low estimate.

synonym: lowball.

Make too low an estimate of:
— He underestimated the work that went into the renovation.
— Don't underestimate the danger of such a raft trip on this river.

synonym: underrate.

Roget 483: underrate, underestimate, undervalue, underreckon^†; depreciate; disparage etc. (detract) 934; not do justice to; misprize, disprize; ridicule etc. 856; slight etc. (despise) 930; neglect etc. 460; slur over.    make light of, make little of, make nothing of, make no account of; belittle; minimize, think nothing of; set no store by, set at naught; shake off as dewdrops from the lion's mane.    ... show more

Dutch: onderschatten