underpay

verb

un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā How to pronounce underpay (audio)
underpaid ˌən-dər-ˈpād How to pronounce underpay (audio) ; underpaying

transitive verb

: to pay less than what is normal or required
underpay taxes
underpayment noun

Examples of underpay in a Sentence

She underpaid for her meal. He realized that he had underpaid the cashier. The company underpays its workers. They are underpaid for the work they do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Texas underpays our educators and staff. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026 Monday’s notice cited Carter’s finding that the leases violated the law but took a drastically harsher stance, saying the VA had found the leaseholders were underpaying by $40 million annually. Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026 My last novel, The Literary Undoing of Victoria Swann, is a Gilded Age story set in Boston and Cambridge about a romance novelist who sues her publishing house for underpaying her as a woman. Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026 Rayner is a popular and charismatic Labour Party soldier who was forced to step down from her role at 10 Downing Street in September due to a breach of the ministerial code after underpaying taxes on one of her residential properties. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for underpay

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underpay was in 1817

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underpay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underpay. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

underpay

verb
un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā How to pronounce underpay (audio)
underpaid -ˈpād How to pronounce underpay (audio) ; underpaying
: to pay too little

More from Merriam-Webster on underpay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster