Underextends

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Stretches something less than it should or reaches too short a distance beyond its intended limit
2. Fails to lengthen, widen, or reach far enough, leaving a span, range, or limit shorter than needed
3. Carries a reach, scope, or coverage only partway, falling short of the full extent intended

Etymology: "Underextends" is the third-person singular present form of "underextend," a verb built from the prefix "under-" and "extend." The prefix adds the sense of doing something too little or not far enough, so to underextend something is to stretch or reach less than is needed or intended. Both parts are long established in English: "extend" comes from Latin "extendere," meaning to stretch out, and "under-" is an ordinary native English prefix that has been used to form verbs of this kind for centuries.

Antonyms: overextend