Outvalued

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be considered as possessing a lesser value in comparison to another entity or item
2. To be evaluated as having inferior worth when contrasted with something else or another option
3. Judged to have a lower worth relative to a different item or person

Etymology: "Outvalued" is the past tense and past participle of "outvalue," a verb formed by attaching the prefix "out-" to "value." The prefix carries its usual sense of surpassing or exceeding, so to outvalue something is to be worth more than it, or, in the sense given here, to be judged as worth less than a rival. The pattern is a straightforward one in English, where "out-" has long been used to build verbs such as "outrun," "outlive" and "outnumber" that describe one thing going beyond another in some quality or quantity. Because the word is a simple combination of two familiar parts, its meaning follows directly from them. "Value" itself comes from Old French and Latin roots meaning worth or strength, so the verb preserves that core idea of worth while the prefix reverses the comparison, placing the thing judged on the losing side of the contest.

Synonyms: underrated, devalued

Antonyms: valued, appreciated, esteemed