underpay

American

[uhn-der-pey] / ˌʌn dərˈpeɪ /

verb (used with object)

underpaid, underpaying

to pay less than is deserved or usual.

underpay British

/ ˌʌndəˈpeɪ /

verb

to pay (someone) insufficiently

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

underpayment noun

Etymology

Origin of underpay

First recorded in 1840–50; under- + pay ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The county will investigate the insurer following complaints from January wildfire victims that their requests for compensation have been delayed, denied and underpaid.

From Los Angeles Times

Monday’s notice cited Carter’s finding that the leases violated the law but took a drastically harsher stance, saying the VA had found the leaseholders were underpaying by $40 million annually.

From Los Angeles Times

Declining labor share is sometimes attributed to businesses underpaying workers.

From The Wall Street Journal

For those outside the citadel—anti-boomer millennials, Gen Z, the underpaid and aggrieved—the Epstein revelations tell a sordid story they’ve long suspected.

From The Wall Street Journal

The insurance department started a market conduct examination of State Farm General, which has been accused of delaying, underpaying and denying claims.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023