underwhelmingly
|un-der-whelm-ing-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌndərˈwɛlm/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌndəˈwɛlm/
(underwhelm)
fail to impress
Etymology
'underwhelm' originates from English, specifically a combination of the prefix 'under-' and the verb 'whelm', where 'under-' meant 'below' or 'insufficiently' and 'whelm' meant 'to cover/engulf'.
'whelm' comes from Old English 'hwealm' (or related forms) meaning 'a surge, overturning', and the modern compound 'underwhelm' was formed in modern English (19th century) as a contrast to 'overwhelm'.
Initially, 'whelm' was related to engulfing or overturning; 'underwhelm' was later coined to mean the opposite of 'overwhelm' — i.e., to fail to overwhelm or to disappoint, and this sense has become the standard modern meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to fail to impress or to produce the expected level of excitement (base form 'underwhelm')
The performance underwhelmed the audience.
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Adjective 1
not as good, impressive, or effective as expected; disappointing (definition for 'underwhelming')
The movie was underwhelming and lacked memorable scenes.
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Adverb 1
in a way that fails to impress or excite; to a disappointing degree
The new product was underwhelmingly received by customers.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 09:08