underwhelm

verb

un·​der·​whelm ˌən-dər-ˈ(h)welm How to pronounce underwhelm (audio)
underwhelmed; underwhelming; underwhelms

transitive verb

: to fail to impress or stimulate
the movie underwhelmed most reviewers

Did you know?

Overwhelm and its rare synonym whelm have both been around since the Middle Ages, but underwhelm is a 20th-century coinage. Both overwhelm and whelm are derived from the Middle English whelmen, which is perhaps an alteration of whelven ("to turn over" or "to cover up"). Underwhelm is a playful overturning of overwhelm well suited for describing the unimpressive. More than one person claims the distinction of having invented underwhelm; several sources attribute it to the playwright George S. Kaufman, but sports columnist Red Smith is quoted as believing he coined the word himself, and still other sources cite other potential creators. Chances are that the word was in fact coined by more than one inventive writer.

Examples of underwhelm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Left guard Brady Christensen, who missed all but one game last season, could be an option, even if that might underwhelm onlookers. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 12 Feb. 2024 The Portland Thorns shared an update on their forthcoming sale, the Portland Timbers advanced in Leagues Cup, and the USWNT continues to underwhelm on the World Cup stage. oregonlive, 2 Aug. 2023 First came 14 minutes of work-in-progress footage from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the long-gestating sequel to 2018’s Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which seemed to underwhelm the 4,000-something CinemaCon audience. Chris Lee, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2023 Those numbers may underwhelm, as even a single physical qubit has a lower error rate. Byadrian Cho, science.org, 22 Feb. 2023 The gift might underwhelm someone who is used to the finer things in life and wants some luxury in their holidays. Katie Melynn, Peoplemag, 2 Dec. 2022 And Beverley, the defensive stopper the team traded for this summer, couldn’t help the team get stops down the stretch while continuing to underwhelm offensively. Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2022 Head coach Steve Kerr made the adjustments following a winless five-game trip last week on which Golden State’s second unit continued to underwhelm. C.j. Holmes, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Nov. 2022 Considering the show is a little more abstract than other series, perhaps Disney is concerned the pilot would underwhelm or leave people confused, so teed up a second one for fans to play immediately after. Julia Alexander, The Verge, 8 Jan. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underwhelm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

under + overwhelm

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underwhelm was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near underwhelm

Cite this Entry

“Underwhelm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underwhelm. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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