underwhelming
|un-der-whelm-ing|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˌʌndərˈwɛlmɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌndəˈwɛlmɪŋ/
(underwhelm)
fail to impress
Etymology
Etymology Information
'underwhelm' originates from the prefix 'under-' meaning 'below' and the root 'whelm' meaning 'to engulf or submerge'.
Historical Evolution
'underwhelm' was formed by combining 'under-' with 'whelm', a word that has been used since Middle English.
Meaning Changes
Initially, 'whelm' meant 'to engulf', but 'underwhelm' evolved to mean 'fail to impress'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
failing to impress or make a significant impact.
The movie was underwhelming despite the hype.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:41