underwhelm

[ uhn-der-hwelm, -welm ]
See synonyms for: underwhelmunderwhelmed on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)Informal.
  1. to fail to interest or astonish: After all the ballyhoo, most critics were underwhelmed by the movie.

Origin of underwhelm

1
First recorded in 1945–50; under- + (over)whelm

Words Nearby underwhelm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use underwhelm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underwhelm

underwhelm

/ (ˌʌndəˈwɛlm) /


verb
  1. (tr) to make no positive impact or impression on; disappoint

Origin of underwhelm

1
C20: originally a humorous coinage based on overwhelm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012