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underwhelmed

underwhelmed

1 5.0
Less impressed or excited than expected
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌndərˈwɛlmd/
translation icon : decepcionado
  • "I hate to tell you, guys, but I'm pretty underwhelmed."

And a lot of people in general were very underwhelmed by An Enchantment of Ravens.

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Examples

  • I'm hoping that Chandler is just pacing himself a bit for the long haul; I'm pretty underwhelmed with him so far.

    Blog text (22)
  • I have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed.

  • And a lot of people in general were very underwhelmed by An Enchantment of Ravens.

  • We stare at the wonders of the world, dull-eyed, underwhelmed.

    Blog text (25)
  • I was completely underwhelmed by the movie, as it didn't live up to the hype.

  • Although everyone praised the concert, I felt underwhelmed by the performance.

  • After hearing so much about the restaurant, I left feeling underwhelmed by the food.

Synonyms

disappointed
vsunderwhelmed
527 1.0

Unhappy because something you hoped for did not happen

is less about loss and more about failing to feel impressed
dissatisfied
vsunderwhelmed
44 3.2

Not happy because something does not meet your expectations

is specifically about being less impressed than initially expected
disappointed with
vsunderwhelmed
35 2.0

Feeling sad because something does not meet your hopes

relates to weaker disappointment from unmet impressive expectations
unsatisfied
vsunderwhelmed
20 3.7

Feeling unhappy because you did not get what you wanted

focuses on lowered impression rather than broader unmet needs
bummed
vsunderwhelmed
  • Informal
16 7.5

Feeling sad or disappointed about something

is a milder, expectation-based letdown rather than simple sadness
uninspired
vsunderwhelmed
14 4.0

Not having new or interesting ideas

focuses on failed impressiveness rather than lack of originality
unimpressed
vsunderwhelmed
14 4.0

Not thinking something is good or interesting

is a milder reaction tied to unmet strong expectations
displeased
vsunderwhelmed
7 3.7

Not happy and a little annoyed

is more about quiet disappointment at failed impressiveness
disheartened
vsunderwhelmed
5 4.2

Feeling less hopeful and confident after a disappointment

is less intense and tied to unmet impressive hopes rather than despair
unenthusiastic
vsunderwhelmed
4 3.9

Not showing much interest or excitement

implies feeling less impressed after expecting something impressive
dismayed
vsunderwhelmed
2 4.3

Feeling shocked and disappointed when something unexpected happens

is focused on low impression rather than surprise or alarm
unenthused
vsunderwhelmed
  • Informal
1 5.3

Not showing excitement or interest

is a quieter disappointment tied to unmet impressive hopes
unamazed
vsunderwhelmed
6.8

Not feeling surprised or impressed by something

is about being less impressed than expected rather than flatness
unstimulated
vsunderwhelmed
5.4

Not feeling interested or excited to do things

is specifically about lower-than-expected impression rather than low stimulation
unpleased
vsunderwhelmed
4.5

Not happy with something

is specifically about being less impressed than expected
gutted
vsunderwhelmed
  • Slang
8.2

Extremely disappointed and upset after something goes wrong

is a milder reaction about something failing to impress as expected

Antonyms

1.0

Feeling very happy and eager about something

542 2.8

Feeling respect for someone because of their skill or quality

171 2.3

Feeling very excited and happy

How Impressed

awestruck
9 6.2
impressed
542 2.8
underwhelmed
1 5.0
unimpressed
14 4.0
unmoved
8 5.1

Surface Forms

underwhelmed positive
underwhelmer comparative
underwhelmedest superlative

Morphology

underwhelmed = underwhelm (transparent) = under + whelm + ed

Formed from 'underwhelm' + '-ed'; the sense 'not impressed' follows directly from under- (insufficient) + whelm (overwhelm).

Etymology

Underwhelmed was made as the opposite of overwhelmed. Overwhelm originally meant 'to cover' or 'flood' someone, so being overwhelmed is to be strongly affected, and with the prefix under- meaning 'not enough', underwhelmed means you are 'not impressed' or disappointed.