underweening

1. uncountableUndervaluation.

   Here is forbidden an over or underweening of the good things in our selves,

   1637, A Short Treatise Contayning all the Principall Grounds of Christian Religion, page 211

   1 more example

   But the greatest underweening of this life is to undervalue that, unto which this is but Exordial or a Passage leading unto it.

   1909, Sir Thomas Browne, Religio medici and other writings

comparative more underweening · superlative most underweening

1. Extremely modest.

   In fact, if anything, it is an underweening bureaucracy.

   2010, Rena Steinzor, Sidney Shapiro, The People's Agents and the Battle to Protect the American Public, →ISBN

   5 more examples

   It is quite possible Challis may think you have an overweening estimate of foreigners and that a particular foreigner may think that your estimate of him is underweening as compared with his own.

   1995, James Clerk Maxwell, Elizabeth Garber, Stephen G. Brush, Maxwell on heat and statistical mechanics

   But when this same, very likable but nebbishy comedian pretends to be that supremely ambitious youth, Phaethon, the tragic ride in the chariot of the Sun-God is reduced from overweening to underweening.

   1971, New York: Volume 4

   Is it possible to be underweening? Too unassuming in one's opinions?

   2008, Chet Raymo, When God is gone everything is holy

   This newspaper must not become a platform for the overweening to smother the opinions of the underweening.

   2011, Ellen B. Holzman, Edmund X. DeJesus, Lunch Reads Volume 3: Two Mystery Short Stories, →ISBN

   'That underweening manner', Shrapnel commented, conveyed 'the reverse of modesty'.

   2013, John Campbell, Edward Heath: A Biography, →ISBN, page 502

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of underween