Underwhelming: meaning, definitions and examples

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underwhelming

 

[ ˌʌndərˈwɛlmɪŋ ]

Adjective / Verb
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or experience

Not producing the expected or desired result; disappointing or unsatisfactory.

Synonyms

disappointing, lackluster, unimpressive, unsatisfactory

Examples of usage

  • It was an underwhelming performance by the team.
  • The movie turned out to be underwhelming despite all the hype.
  • The new product launch was underwhelming, with low sales figures.
Context #2 | Verb

reaction

To fail to impress or excite someone.

Synonyms

disappoint, fail to impress, leave unimpressed

Examples of usage

  • The presentation underwhelmed the audience.
  • I was underwhelmed by the lack of effort put into the project.

Translations

Translations of the word "underwhelming" in other languages:

🇵🇹 decepcionante

🇮🇳 निराशाजनक

🇩🇪 enttäuschend

🇮🇩 mengecewakan

🇺🇦 розчаровуючий

🇵🇱 rozczarowujący

🇯🇵 期待外れ

🇫🇷 décevant

🇪🇸 decepcionante

🇹🇷 hayal kırıklığı yaratan

🇰🇷 실망스러운

🇸🇦 مخيّب للآمال

🇨🇿 zklamání

🇸🇰 sklamanie

🇨🇳 令人失望的

🇸🇮 razočaranje

🇮🇸 vonbrigða

🇰🇿 көңіл қалдыратын

🇬🇪 იმედგაცრუების

🇦🇿 məyus

🇲🇽 decepcionante

Word origin

The word 'underwhelming' is a relatively modern term, first recorded in the late 20th century. It is derived from the prefix 'under-' meaning 'below' or 'less than' and 'whelming' from 'overwhelm', indicating a lack of overwhelming or impressive impact. The term has gained popularity in contemporary usage to describe experiences, performances, or products that do not meet expectations.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #39,838, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.