underdo

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underdo

Where it comes from

From Middle English underdon, from Old English underdōn (“to put under”), from Proto-Germanic *under + *dōną (“to put”). Equivalent to under- + do. Cognate with German unterthun (“to put under, subject”).

verb underdoes · underdoing · underdid · underdone

transitive To do something insufficiently; especially, to undercook. Sorry to say, I've underdone the pot roast. I think we'd better put it back in the oven for a bit.
Opposite: overdo, overcook
transitive To do less than is requisite. Near-synonyms: (of tasks) half-ass, shortchange, phone in
Similar: half-ass, shortchange, phone in · Opposite: overdo, overcook
intransitive, transitive, uncommon To act below one's abilities; do less than one can. Near-synonyms: underachieve, slack off
Similar: underachieve, slack off · Opposite: overdo, overcook
obsolete, transitive To put under, subject.

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MLA

"underdo." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/underdo. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

underdo. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/underdo

Chicago

"underdo." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/underdo.

BibTeX

@misc{underdo_2026,
  title = {underdo},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/underdo},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}