underpay

verb

un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā 

underpaid ˌən-dər-ˈpād  ; underpaying

transitive verb

: to pay less than what is normal or required

underpay taxes

underpayment

ˌən-dər-ˈpā-mənt 

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

Allegedly, the settlement vastly underpays college athletes compared to their market value, embraces sexism by paying male athletes more than female athletes and obliterates legal claims in other cases. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2024

The bear was always also, of course, the restaurant business: a feral industry nominally dedicated to leisure and delight that talks a big game about service and celebration while abusing or underpaying its workers, torturing its geniuses, and driving everyone concerned to bankruptcy and despair. —Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 27 June 2024

Despite running on Dunkin’ or lovin’ happy meals, America has a long history of underpaying the fast-food workers who make and deliver said iconic staples of the nation’s diet. —Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 18 June 2024

Universities underpay clinical and adjunct faculty to subsidize (too often) unproductive tenured faculty. —Byscott Galloway, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

underpay

verb

un·​der·​pay ˌən-dər-ˈpā 

underpaid -ˈpād  ; underpaying

: to pay too little