underperform
Miss the mark
To underperform is to perform below expectations or potential.
A student underperforms on exams, a stock underperforms the market, an employee underperforms their peers.
The word implies a gap between what was anticipated and what was delivered: The team has underperformed all season.
Often used in business and finance contexts where performance is measured against benchmarks.
Below acceptable quality
- substandardBelow required quality
- mediocreOf only moderate quality
- deficientHaving too little
- inferiorOf lower rank
poor · weak · lacking · unsatisfactory · below par · second-rate · wanting · unacceptable
Following behind something
faltering · slipping · declining · flagging · dragging · limping · sputtering · stalling
Failing to meet expectations
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
- anticlimacticDisappointingly weak after buildup
- dishearteningCausing loss of hope
- frustratingCausing irritation, blocking progress
disillusioning · dismal · lackluster · unimpressive · regrettable · dissatisfying · displeasing · discouraging
subpar
Below acceptable quality
- substandardBelow required quality
- mediocreOf only moderate quality
- deficientHaving too little
inferior · poor · weak · lacking · unsatisfactory · below par · second-rate · wanting · unacceptable · below expectations
trailing
Following behind something
stagnant · faltering · slipping · declining · flagging · dragging · limping · sputtering · stalling · losing ground
underwhelming
Failing to meet expectations
- letdownFailure to satisfy expectations
- anticlimacticDisappointingly weak after buildup
- dishearteningCausing loss of hope
frustrating · disillusioning · dismal · lackluster · unimpressive · regrettable · dissatisfying · displeasing · discouraging · deflating
faltering
Becoming unsteady or weak
- flounderingStruggling clumsily, failing
- stumblingWalking clumsily, almost falling
- laboringWorking strenuously
straining · slogging · battling · grinding · toiling · grappling · wrestling · fighting · scraping by · treading water
- box officebox office, gross, worldwide gross, opening weekend, ticket sales
- failuresfailure, failures, flop, flops, bust
- falling shortdeficient, lacking, shortfall, failure, gap
- failingfail, fails, collapse, flop, bomb
- slacking offloaf, idle, laze, shirk, skimp
- comparison verbscompare, contrast, differentiate, distinguish, juxtapose
underperformoverperform
Exceed projected results
exceed expectations · outperform · overachieve · deliver · punch above one's weight
underperforming, underperforms, underperformed, underperformance, underperformer, underperformers