undersold

The store undersold its competitors by offering the same books at a lower price.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense and past participle of ):
   • To sell at a lower price than a competitor: "undersold" refers to the act of offering goods or services at a cheaper rate than another seller in order to attract customers.
   • To present or promote something with less enthusiasm than it deserves: In a figurative sense, "undersold" can mean to downplay or undervalue the qualities or importance of something.

Usage Examples

• To sell at a lower price:

  • The new supermarket undersold all its rivals during the grand opening. (The supermarket offered lower prices than its competitors.)
  • Our online store has undersold traditional retailers for years. (We have consistently charged less than physical shops.)

• To present with less enthusiasm:

  • The movie was undersold by its trailers; it was much better than expected. (The trailers did not adequately show how good the film was.)
  • She undersold her skills in the interview, so the manager did not realize her full potential. (She described her abilities too modestly.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be undersold" (passive construction): to have been offered at a lower price or to have been undervalued.
  • The house was undersold at auction because few bidders attended. (The property sold for less than its market value.)
  • His achievements are often undersold by his own humility. (He downplays his successes.)

Variants and Related Words

• Undersell (verb, base form): to sell at a lower price than a competitor.
  • We must undersell our main rival to increase market share. (We need to offer lower prices than our competitor.)
• Underselling (present participle): the act of selling at a lower price.
  • Underselling can lead to a price war. (The practice of lowering prices can cause competitors to do the same.)

Synonyms

• Underprice: to set a price lower than the market value.
• Undercharge: to charge less than the correct or usual price.
• Downplay: to present as less important or impressive.

Related Idioms

• "Sell short": to undervalue or underestimate someone or something.
  • Don't sell yourself short — you have great talents. (Do not undervalue your own abilities.)
• "Give away": to sell something very cheaply, almost as if giving it for free.
  • They practically gave away the old stock. (They sold it at an extremely low price.)