Underyield

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To produce or return a smaller amount than was anticipated, planned, or needed from a crop, investment, or process
2. Falling short in output, so that a field, fund, or operation delivers less than its projected level
3. Generating a lower return or harvest than expected, leaving results below the target that was set

Etymology: Underyield is a plain compound of the prefix under-, meaning "too little" or "beneath," and yield. The surprising part is yield itself. It comes from Old English "gieldan," which meant to pay back or repay, as in settling a debt or rendering tribute. The sense of producing something, such as a crop or a return, developed later from the idea of giving back what is due. So the verb meaning "produce too little" combines a prefix for insufficiency with a root that once meant paying out rather than bringing forth.

Synonyms: underperform

Antonyms: overyield