undersized

adjective

un·​der·​sized ˌən-dər-ˈsīzd 

variants or less commonly undersize

ˌən-dər-ˈsīz 

: of a size less than is common, proper, normal, or average

undersized trout

Synonyms of undersized

• diminutive
• small
• little

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

Muldowney, the Sharks’ sixth-round pick in 2022, has the skating ability and hockey IQ to offset being relatively undersized at 5 feet 9 and 172 pounds. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Not long ago, the idea of an undersized forward prospect with 68 career NHL games and 27 career points receiving more than $50 million would have been unthinkable. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Joe Lopez, 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found in possession of four undersized lobsters and taken to jail. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

Despite being an undersized defensive tackle at 6-1 and 313 pounds, Briggs uses his excellent upper-body strength and compact frame to win one-on-one matchups against guards and centers. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undersized

• acclimatized
• aerosolized
• alphabetized
• aluminized
• anaesthetized
• anesthetized
• annualized
• antagonized
• apologised
• apologized
• capitalised
• capitalized

Kids Definition

undersized

adjective

un·​der·​sized ˌən-dər-ˈsīzd 

: smaller than is usual or standard

undersized fruit