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Definition 2024


misunderestimate

misunderestimate

English

Verb

misunderestimate (third-person singular simple present misunderestimates, present participle misunderestimating, simple past and past participle misunderestimated)

  1. (colloquial, malapropism or humorous) To underestimate by mistake.
    • 1897 April 17, "American Diplomacy on the Bosphorous," The Outlook:
      . . .is almost sure to misunderstand and misunderestimate the significance of the question at hand.
    • 1975, Thomas Merton, My Argument With the Gestapo:
      Now in the very earliest years of the eighteenth century it is understandable that, owing to the inevitable, due to our never-to-be-misunderestimated Frederick the Gross . . .
    • 1980, "Accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Powerplant: Oversight Hearings":
      And I think after Three Mile Island, not only does the NRC itself understand that it sadly misunderestimated the number of ways in . . .
    • 1992, Adelbert Denaux, John and the Synoptics :
      . . . not only the disciples within their accounts, had seriously misunderestimated the life and teaching of Jesus.
    • 1997 Aug. 29, John Conyers (D-MI), "Delivers Remarks to the Department of Agriculture's Coalition of Minority Employees":
      Whatever happened to Espy? Well, what happened to Espy is what happens to people whether you're a former congressman or not. If you understand the power -- if you misunderestimate the power of the intense bureaucracy in these agencies and departments and federal institutions, you go, they stay.
    • 2003 April 30, Joel Connelly, Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
      Hence, while anticipating incoming fire, here are several factors for why even the most liberal of Democrats should not "misunderestimate" my favorite Bushism our prez.
    • 2004, Bill Sammon, Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters, ISBN 0060723831, page 347:
      "I think that anybody who misunderestimates this president is going to have egg on their face in a few years," Rice told me.

Derived terms