Meaning & use
underappreciated
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not given the thanks, praise or recognition that someone or something deserves.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an underappreciated teacher; she felt underappreciated.
Patterns
- feel underappreciated
- an underappreciated talent
Nurses are often underappreciated, despite working long hours.
She felt underappreciated at a job where no one noticed her effort.
The band's early albums are underappreciated gems.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having more worth or quality than most people realize, as of a book, film, place or idea.
Grammar: Used about things before a noun: an underappreciated film, where the thing is simply overlooked.
Patterns
- an underappreciated classic
- an underappreciated gem
The small museum is one of the city's most underappreciated attractions.
The film is an underappreciated classic that critics ignored at first.
Winter is the most underappreciated season for hiking.
Word forms
| comparative | more underappreciated |
|---|---|
| superlative | most underappreciated |
Common combinations
- feel underappreciated
- Many volunteers feel underappreciated by the organizers.
- underappreciated talent
- The company hired an underappreciated talent from a small firm.
- vastly underappreciated
- His work on the project was vastly underappreciated.
- underappreciated gem
- The cafe is an underappreciated gem in the neighborhood.
- chronically underappreciated
- Caregivers are chronically underappreciated in many families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unappreciated
- Unappreciated just says no appreciation was given, while underappreciated says it was given too little relative to the worth.
- overlooked
- Overlooked means not noticed at all, whereas underappreciated means noticed but not valued enough.
- undervalued
- Undervalued often refers to worth in money terms, such as an asset, while underappreciated suggests a lack of gratitude or recognition.
- unsung
- Unsung is more literary and describes heroes whose deeds were not celebrated publicly.
Opposites
Word family
- appreciate verb
- to recognize the value of something, or to be grateful for it
- appreciation noun
- gratitude or understanding of the worth of something
- appreciative adjective
- showing thanks or understanding of value
- appreciated adjective
- valued and thanked
Commonly confused: underappreciated or underrated?
underappreciated vs underrated
Underrated means judged to be worse than it really is; underappreciated is about too little thanks or recognition. They overlap for films and books, but only underappreciated is natural for people who are not thanked.
Practice
The cleaners rarely heard a thank-you from the staff, and they felt ___.
Choose one answer.
Underappreciated fits people whose work is not thanked or recognized enough. Overpaid and overconfident do not match the lack of thanks, and uninformed is about knowledge.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “underappreciated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.