underquote
Rare / TechnicalFormal / Business / Commercial
Definition
Meaning
To quote (set a price) lower than the actual or expected value, especially in business or trade.
To state a price or figure that is deliberately or mistakenly lower than a competitor's, the market rate, or the eventual cost; to underestimate a cost or value verbally or in writing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a transactional verb. Focuses on the act of providing a price estimate. Often implies a strategic or erroneous pricing action. Can be used transitively (underquote a job) or intransitively (they tend to underquote).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition. Slightly more common in British business contexts, but equally understood in American English.
Connotations
In both varieties, it typically carries a negative connotation of poor business practice (eroding profit) or incompetence (miscalculation), but can be neutral in contexts of aggressive competitive pricing.
Frequency
Low frequency in both. More likely encountered in professional business, procurement, or trade publications than in general speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] underquote [Object: price/job/competitor][Subject] underquote [Adverbial: for the contract/on the tender]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms for this word]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common in tendering, contracting, and sales. 'The new firm underquoted us by 20% to win the contract.'
Academic
Rare, possibly in economics papers discussing pricing strategies or market failures.
Everyday
Very rare. Unlikely outside discussions of getting quotes for services (e.g., builders, mechanics).
Technical
Used in procurement, project management, and trade-specific contexts (construction, manufacturing).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We cannot underquote for the renovation and still maintain our standards.
- The supplier was found to have underquoted the materials cost in the initial tender.
American English
- The contractor lowballed us, clearly underquoting to get the job.
- If you underquote your services, you'll struggle to turn a profit.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form]
- [N/A]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form]
- [N/A]
adjective
British English
- [Rarely used as adjective. Possible participial use:] The underquoted bid was suspiciously low.
- [N/A]
American English
- [Rarely used as adjective. Possible participial use:] We rejected the underquoted proposal as unrealistic.
- [N/A]
Examples
By CEFR Level
- [Too rare/complex for A2. Use placeholder.]
- [N/A]
- The painter underquoted the job, so he lost money.
- Be careful not to underquote when you give a price.
- Several firms underquoted in the bidding war, leading to unsustainable prices.
- Their strategy was to deliberately underquote new customers to build a client base.
- By underquoting the established market rate, the disruptor firm sought to gain market share, albeit at the cost of short-term profitability.
- The audit revealed a pattern of underquoted tenders which jeopardised the long-term viability of the department's contracting model.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a quote being placed UNDER the correct or expected price level.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRICING IS A POSITION ON A SCALE (low/high).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'underestimate' (недооценивать) в неценовых контекстах.
- Близко по смыслу к 'занижать цену' или 'делать заведомо низкое предложение'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'underquote' for non-price underestimation (e.g., 'I underquoted the difficulty' is incorrect).
- Confusing it with 'misquote' (to cite incorrectly).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'underquote' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Underquote' refers to the stated price before a transaction (the estimate or offer). 'Undercharge' refers to the price actually paid at the point of sale.
It is very rare. Its core meaning is tied to pricing and estimates. Using it metaphorically (e.g., 'underquoting a problem') would be non-standard and confusing.
The direct noun is 'underquotation' (rare). More common phrasing uses the gerund 'underquoting' (e.g., 'Underquoting is a risky strategy.') or a descriptive noun phrase like 'a low quote'.
Usually negative or cautionary. It implies a mistake (loss of profit) or potentially unethical competition (predatory pricing). It can be neutral only in pure descriptive analysis of pricing behaviour.