misunderestimation
English
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *missaz
Proto-Germanic *missa-
Proto-West Germanic *missa-
Old English mis-
Middle English mys-
English mis-
Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰí
Proto-Indo-European *-ér
Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér
Proto-Germanic *under
Proto-West Germanic *undar
Old English under-
Middle English under-
English under-
English estimation
English underestimation
English misunderestimation
From mis- + underestimation.
Noun
misunderestimation (countable and uncountable, plural misunderestimations)
- (nonstandard) An inaccurate underestimation, or an act of misunderestimating; misestimation of the low-side error type.
- 1983, "Mr. Peck", Department of Transportation and related agencies appropriations for 1984: Hearings[1], page 157:
- We find even in our own agency very significant misunderestimations of the effectiveness.
- 2009 January 15, Gail Collins, “He’s Leaving. Really.”, in New York Times[2]:
- This is not the first time our president has worried about misunderestimation, so it’s fair to regard this not as a slip of the tongue, but as something the president of the United States thinks is a word.
Usage notes
- As with the root misunderestimate, this is usually but not always employed in jocular reference to former US President George W. Bush.