Underestimate is a verb that is used to refer to those actions in which a person estimates the value, importance or relevance of a thing, phenomenon or even another person below what it is really worth.
The prefix sub always means "below" and then, together with the verb estimate, it gives us the idea that an analysis or assessment of the object in question is made lower than what it is in reality. Underestimation is a very common phenomenon today with regard to social relationships since many times the capabilities or possibilities of a person are underestimated by elements such as physical appearance.
The term underestimate is always used in a negative sense since it assumes that something is being estimated or valued for less than it is really worth, which means that it is not given its true value or importance.
A myriad of things can be underestimated, for example, the results of an exam, the price of an object, some elements of nature, etc. Whenever you talk about underestimating, you mean that the assessment is not correct and that, consequently, there may be surprises about the results to be observed.
In the case of social relationships, underestimation is always present when a person is measured by elements such as physical appearance since this prevents us from correctly seeing or estimating their abilities, abilities, and intellectual elements to perform certain tasks . Thus, people who have a physical disability are underestimated, while perhaps their abilities and potential are equal to or greater than that of any other person at an intellectual level.
It is also possible to observe the vice versa, that is, to think that a person, because they are extremely striking or beautiful in the physical, is not going to perform as well as an intellectual or professional person.
