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

• misunderestimation