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underappreciate — to fail to recognize the full worth or significance of someone or something

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to fail to recognize the full worth or significance of someone or something

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌʌndərəˈpriːʃieɪt/

Example Sentences

  • I used to underappreciate my mom's cooking until I moved out and had to eat instant noodles for a month.
  • We often underappreciate clean air until we visit a heavily polluted city.
  • Students tend to underappreciate their school janitors, not knowing they arrive at 5 AM every day.

underappreciate

VERB

[/ˌʌndərəˈpriːʃieɪt/]

to fail to recognize the full worth or significance of someone or something

to fail to recognize the full worth or significance of someone or something
💡 Concept

to fail to recognize the full worth or significance of someone or something

While others underappreciate, true eyes appreciate what shouldn't depreciate!
🎵 Rhyme

While others underappreciate, true eyes appreciate what shouldn't depreciate!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌʌndərəˈpriːʃieɪt/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌʌndərəˈpriːʃieɪt/

🌳Etymology

Prefixunder--
Rootappreciate

Origin

Underappreciate is a modern English compound formed by combining the prefix 'under-' (meaning below or insufficiently) with the verb 'appreciate' (derived from Late Latin 'appretiare', meaning to value or esteem). The word emerged in English to express the concept of valuing something below its actual worth or merit.

Breakdown

under- (prefix meaning below, insufficiently) + appreciate (from Latin appretiare: ad- (to) + pretium (price, value)), literally meaning 'to assign insufficient value to something'.

🎵Rhyme

appreciate
depreciate

🔗Collocations

underappreciate someone's efforts
underappreciate the importance
vastly underappreciated
underappreciate the value
tend to underappreciate
seriously underappreciated

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“I used to underappreciate my mom's cooking until I moved out and had to eat instant noodles for a month.”

“We often underappreciate clean air until we visit a heavily polluted city.”

“Students tend to underappreciate their school janitors, not knowing they arrive at 5 AM every day.”

😄 Fun example

“My cat definitely underappreciates the expensive cat food I buy - she prefers the cardboard box it came in.”

📚Related Words

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