undersized

adjective

un·​der·​sized ˌən-dər-ˈsīzd How to pronounce undersized (audio)
variants or less commonly undersize
Synonyms of undersizednext
: of a size less than is common, proper, normal, or average
undersized trout

Examples of undersized in a Sentence

He is undersized for a basketball player. though a football all-star in high school, he was just a mediocre, undersized player at the college level
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Malinski has emerged as one of the more underrated defensemen in the league and stylistically, his slick skating, puck-moving, and secondary offense made Girard somewhat redundant, especially since both players are undersized. Harman Dayal, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026 Maybe there’s something to attracting kids to yet another movie about a society of talking animals, even if the main character in this case is an undersized goat who plays basketball instead of fighting crime. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026 On 17th anniversary of his birth, Larios captured his first San Diego Masters title, pinning Poway’s undersized Lewis Fofanah in 2 minutes, 38 seconds to win the 285-pound title Saturday afternoon semifinal at Olympian High School. Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026 A little undersized at linebacker, the 5-10, 210-pounder, who is coming off his sophomore season, had 31 tackles. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for undersized

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undersized was in 1706

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undersized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undersized. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

undersized

adjective
un·​der·​sized ˌən-dər-ˈsīzd How to pronounce undersized (audio)
: smaller than is usual or standard
undersized fruit

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