Underpraised

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not receiving enough praise or acknowledgement for qualities or achievements
2. Deserving more recognition or commendation than has been given
3. Having received less acclaim or appreciation than is warranted

Etymology: "Underpraised" is simply the past participle and adjectival form of the verb "underpraise," which combines the prefix "under-" with "praise." The prefix "under-" comes from Old English and carries the sense of "beneath" or "insufficiently," as in "underestimate" or "underpaid." Joined to "praise," it describes something that has received less commendation than it deserves. The base "praise" arrived in English through Old French "preisier" and ultimately from Late Latin "pretiare," meaning "to value or prize," itself from Latin "pretium," "price" or "worth." The original idea was therefore one of assigning value, so that to praise something was to set a worth on it. Seen this way, "underpraised" literally describes a thing valued below its worth, a sense that has stayed close to the word's roots.

Synonyms: underrated, undervalued, underappreciated

Antonyms: overpraised, exalted, overappreciated