underbidden

A player underbidden his opponent in the final round.

Definition

1. Verb (past participle of ):
   • To have offered a lower price than (someone): In a competitive bidding context, "underbidden" means that a person or entity has submitted a bid that is lower than another bidder's offer.
   • To have made a lower bid than the value of something: In card games (especially bridge), "underbidden" means a player has made a bid that is lower than the actual value or strength of their hand.

Usage Examples

• (The rival firm offered a lower price for the work.)
• (She made a bid too low for her cards' strength.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be underbidden in an auction": to lose an auction because a competitor offered a lower price.

  • The antique vase was sold to the highest bidder, but the museum was underbidden by a private collector. (The museum's bid was lower than the collector's.)

• "to have underbidden one's own estimate": to bid less than what one originally thought the item or service was worth.

  • The builder realized he had underbidden the project when material costs rose unexpectedly. (His bid was too low compared to actual expenses.)

Variants and Related Words

• Underbid (verb, base form): to bid lower than someone else.

  • He always tries to underbid his competitors to win contracts. (He offers lower prices than his rivals.)

• Underbidding (noun/gerund): the act of offering a lower bid.

  • Underbidding can lead to financial losses if costs are not carefully calculated. (The practice of low bidding.)

Synonyms

• Undercut: to offer goods or services at a lower price than a competitor.

  • The new airline undercut all its rivals on ticket prices. (It charged less than others.)

• Outbid (in reverse): to be outdone by a lower bid (though "outbid" usually means a higher bid wins; "underbidden" is the opposite).

  • They were underbidden, meaning someone else offered less than they did.

Phrasal Verbs

• Underbid for: to make a lower bid for something.
  • The company underbid for the construction project, hoping to secure the deal. (They offered a low price to win.)

Related Idioms

• Bid low and lose: a phrase describing the result of underbidding.

  • If you bid low and lose, you may regret not offering more. (Underbidding can cause loss.)

• Cut-price tactic: a strategy of offering lower prices to beat competition.

  • Their cut-price tactic involved underbidding every rival. (They used low bids as a business strategy.)