underpay

verb

un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā 

underpaid ˌən-dər-ˈpād  ; underpaying

transitive verb

: to pay less than what is normal or required

underpay taxes

underpayment

ˌən-dər-ˈpā-mənt 

noun

Examples of underpay in a Sentence

She underpaid for her meal.

He realized that he had underpaid the cashier.

The company underpays its workers.

They are underpaid for the work they do.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawsuit alleged that by not disclosing the stock purchases before the legal deadline, Musk was able to keep buying shares at artificially low prices and underpay Twitter investors by at least $150 million for those shares. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Paxton said his office will continue to review records and marketing material to make sure that Walmart doesn't underpay or deceive Spark drivers in the future. — Serenah McKay, Arkansas Online, 8 July 2026

Weyland-Yutani is a sort of extreme example of what economists call a monopsony — when one employer dominates a labor market and gains power to underpay and mistreat workers. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 19 June 2026

Hammond is more than happy to cut corners, underpay his staff, put the lives of others in jeopardy, and violate scientific ethics for the sake of his dream. — Time, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for underpay

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

underpay

verb

un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā 

underpaid -ˈpād  ; underpaying

: to pay too little