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underspend

verb

To spend too little of the funds appropriated or allocated.

“Any underspends will revert to the general fund at the end of the year.”

Opposite

OriginEnglish spend ← Middle English spenden ← Old English spendan →

UncommonScrabble 14

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Meanings

verbunderspend (third-person singular simple present underspends, present participle underspending, simple past and past participle underspent)

present singular third person underspends · participle present underspending · participle past underspent · past underspent

To spend too little of the funds appropriated or allocated.
Antonyms: overspend

noununderspend (plural underspends)

plural underspends

An amount by which an allocated amount is not expended.
Any underspends will revert to the general fund at the end of the year.
1 more example
He also maintained that the final audited underspend was £322m, including additional estimates.
2012 July 10, Jessica Shankleman, “Government defends £400m energy and climate budget underspend”, in The Guardian
Antonyms: overspend

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo spend too little of the funds appropriated or allocated.

Opposite

nounAn amount by which an allocated amount is not expended.

Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

verbspend less than the whole of (a budget, for example)

Opposite

Broader

verbspend at less than the normal rate

Opposite

Broader

spend expend drop

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
Proto-Germanic*under
Proto-West Germanic*undar
Old Englishunder-
Middle Englishunder-
Englishunder-
Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
Proto-Italic*eks
Latinex
Latinex-
Proto-Indo-European*(s)pend-
Proto-Indo-European*(s)péndeti
Proto-Italic*pendō
Latinpendō
Latinexpendō
Proto-West Germanic*spendōn
Old Englishspendan
Middle Englishspenden
Englishspend
Englishunderspend

From under- + spend.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch onderuitgave

onderuitgaveTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with underspend

send end friend recommend weekend spend attend trend extend tend depend blend bend amend defend intend suspend pretend lend append transcend contend comprehend offend

Cite this entry

APA

underspend. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underspend

MLA

“underspend.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underspend. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underspend,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underspend.

Source: underspend on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.