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

David Bowie personally appears on the cover of 24 of his solo albums, depicting himself as a bowl-cut heartthrob, an androgynous blond, a space alien in human disguise, a cigarette-smoking lounge creature, a sideways pair of legs, and an oddly undersized boxer. —Armin Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026

The electrical infrastructure was obsolete, deemed undersized and non-compliant with current code. —CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

The undersized Tasker played bigger than his measurements, and that resonated with fans. —Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026

An undersized rookie on a two-way contract, Olbrich couldn’t do much more than bang bodies with Garza in the paint, finishing without a single point. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for undersized

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

Kids Definition

undersized

adjective

un·​der·​sized ˌən-dər-ˈsīzd 

: smaller than is usual or standard

undersized fruit