undersized

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "undersized" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is smaller than the usual or expected size, often in reference to clothing, equipment, or objects. Example: "The undersized shirt did not fit him well, leaving him feeling uncomfortable during the event."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The Dockers' undersized defence - missing key backmen Michael Johnson, Luke McPharlin and Alex Silvagni - was always going to present West Coast with its best chance to steal victory.

The Guardian - Sport

(The ploy turned on a daring, if grammatically correct, use of reflexive verbs, so that a ministerial statement blamed undersized hake that se pêchaient et se vendaient, suggesting the fish had fished and sold themselves).Apart from the fish-blaming French, everybody has a point.

The Economist

Though he was undersized, he was at the head of his class, & studied constantly.

The New Yorker

The Redskins' London Fletcher is undersized and thirty-eight years old, but he's been able to play for so long because he is a defensive Peyton Manning: seeing the game so lucidly, yelling out the offensive play about to unfold, changing alignments before the snap, organizing the field in real time.

The New Yorker

I guess they lost that old Baltimore feeling, because I wasn't born for another seven years, a crying, red-faced bit of flesh, a runt, undersized even then.

The New Yorker

For years, they were undersized for their age group yet managed to dominate it.

The New Yorker

Back in 1974, my parents had referred to it as "being held back," and they had always stressed that I had been undersized rather than stupid — at the age of five, I weighed only thirty-five pounds.

The New Yorker

The country has also neglected to use policies to spur domestic manufacturing, instead focussing on the service sector; the service economy grew by almost ten per cent in the 1990s, but India's already undersized manufacturing sector grew by only 5.7 per cent.

The New Yorker

Consider the preposterous odds of an unrecruited, undrafted, unathletic, undersized forward from the Florida Panhandle becoming one of the fiercest, most effective rebounders in the N.B.A., in the league's biggest market.

The New York Times - Sports

But Ms. Karanas's earthy voice seemed undersized for the part.

The New York Times - Arts

According to Nolwenn Gace-Rimaud, Pêcheurs de Bretagne project manager, the introduction of improved trawl nets by Brittany fishing fleets has spared the catch of 14 million unwanted hake annually and 70 million undersized langoustine.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In sports journalism, apply this term to describe players who successfully compete against larger opponents, as it highlights their skill despite physical disadvantages.

Common error

Do not use "undersized" when you specifically mean "underweight". While a person can be both, "undersized" refers to height, frame, or overall scale, whereas "underweight" refers strictly to body mass relative to a norm.

Linguistic Context

The word "undersized" primarily functions as an adjective. In the sentences provided by Ludwig, it modifies nouns to indicate that they fall below the usual, expected, or legal size. It typically appears before the noun (e.g., "undersized defence") or as a predicative adjective (e.g., "he was undersized").

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "undersized" is a versatile and highly correct adjective used to describe objects, individuals, or organizations that fail to meet a standard or expected physical scale. Ludwig AI data shows that it is particularly prevalent in News & Media (especially sports journalism) and Encyclopedias, where precise categorization of size is necessary. Unlike the more subjective "too small", "undersized" suggests an objective comparison against a norm or regulation. It is most effective when used in professional, journalistic, or technical writing to highlight a deficiency in size that carries consequences, such as an "undersized defence" in football or "undersized hake" in environmental law.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

too small

More common and less formal, focusing on subjective perception rather than an objective standard.

diminutive

Adds a descriptive or even slightly artistic tone, often used for people or architectural features.

substandard size

Explicitly emphasizes that the object fails to meet a specific legal or industrial requirement.

inadequate

Focuses on the functional failure caused by the small size rather than the size itself.

under-dimensioned

A more technical or engineering-focused term for something lacking sufficient physical scale.

puny

Includes a negative connotation of weakness or insignificance alongside smallness.

miniature

Implies a version that is small by design rather than by deficiency or failure to grow.

petite

Specifically used for people or fashion to describe a small, slender frame in a positive or neutral way.

underweight

Focuses on mass and heaviness rather than physical dimensions or volume.

scant

Refers to quantities or amounts that are barely sufficient, rather than physical dimensions.

FAQs

Is "undersized" one word or hyphenated?

It is correctly written as one word without a hyphen. While some older texts might use a hyphen, modern standard English uses "undersized".

What is the difference between "undersized" and "too small"?

While both indicate a lack of size, "<a href="/s/undersized" target="_blank" rel="alternative">undersized" often implies a comparison against a standard, regulation, or expected average, whereas "<a href="/s/too+small" target="_blank" rel="alternative">too small" is more subjective.

Can I use "undersized" to describe an athlete?

Yes, it is very common in sports to describe players who are shorter or lighter than the average for their position. Alternatives include "<a href="/s/diminutive" target="_blank" rel="alternative">diminutive" or "<a href="/s/small+stature" target="_blank" rel="alternative">small stature".

What can I say instead of "undersized" in a technical report?

In professional or technical contexts, you might use "<a href="/s/substandard+size" target="_blank" rel="alternative">substandard size", "<a href="/s/inadequate+dimensions" target="_blank" rel="alternative">inadequate dimensions", or "<a href="/s/diminutive" target="_blank" rel="alternative">diminutive".