Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “underreact” come from?

underreact (English) comes from English under, from Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-Germanic under, from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér, from Proto-Indo-European h₁en — in; in, inside.

underreact (English): To react inadequately

Definitions

  1. To react inadequately

Ancestry of “underreact”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
2Middle Englishunder—
3Old Englishunderunder
4Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside

Words derived from “underreact”

  • underreactor
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →