Meaning & use
underwhelming
Last updated
Failing to impress or meet expectations.
See it in a sentence
The sequel was an underwhelming follow-up to the original film.
Sales figures for the new product were underwhelming compared to forecasts.
A note on using this word
Underwhelming was coined in the 20th century as a playful, ironic counterpart to 'overwhelming,' and has since become a standard word in its own right.
Words with a similar meaning
disappointingunimpressive
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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