underperform

verb

un·​der·​per·​form ˌən-dər-pər-ˈfȯrm 

-pə-ˈfȯrm

underperformed; underperforming; underperforms

transitive verb

: to do worse than

… it believes the company will underperform other relatives covered by the firm …

—Jim Milliot

intransitive verb

: to fail to do as well as expected

The stocks underperformed.

underperformance

ˌən-dər-pər-ˈfȯr-mən(t)s 

-pə-ˈfȯr-

noun

underperformer noun

Examples of underperform in a Sentence

The report shows which schools are underperforming.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Wednesday, Disney admitted to shareholders that Moana and The Mandalorian and Grogu underperformed at the box office but spun both as titles that helped boost revenue in other parts of the company. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Bank of America downgrades Duolingo to underperform from neutral The firm downgraded the stock on valuation. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026

The relief unit has underperformed this season, and injuries have made things even more dire. — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Aug. 2026

And as virtually all of the roster has underperformed in recent weeks, franchise shortstop Trea Turner appears to be under particular scrutiny. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for underperform

• cuneiform
• iodoform
• nonuniform
• brainstorm
• conform
• deform
• firestorm
• hailstorm
• inform
• landform
• lukewarm
• perform