underspend

IPA/ˌʌndəˈspend/
IPA/ˌʌndərˈspend/

underspend — 動詞

  • underspendpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • underspendshe / she / it
  • underspentpast simple
  • underspending-ing form
  • underspendedpast participle

1. to use less money than the amount that was planned or set aside for a particular

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

少支出

花費低於計劃金額

to use less money than the amount that was planned or set aside for a particular purpose, such as a project, department, or budget period.

例句

Yumi's team underspent their marketing budget by nearly twenty percent last quarter.

Yumi 的團隊去年第四季的廣告預算少支出了將近百分之二十。

underspent + budget by [amount/percentage]

The hospital underspent on medical supplies because fewer patients needed surgery than expected.

這家醫院在醫療用品上支出低於預算，因為需要動手術的病人比預期少。

underspent on [noun]

同義詞
  • spend less

    a general paraphrase; less formal and not tied to a budget target

  • be under budget

    a phrasal expression common in project management, focusing on the result rather than the action

  • economise

    broader in meaning — reducing costs generally, not necessarily relative to a planned figure

  • cut back

    implies deliberate reduction in spending, often as a cost-saving measure

反義詞

文法句型

underspend + budget / grant / allocation

underspend + on + supplies / staffing / equipment

underspend + by + amount

用法筆記

Common in financial and administrative contexts. Often used with budgets, grants, or allocations. Can be transitive (underspend a budget) or intransitive (underspend on something). In some organisations, underspending is seen as careful management; in others it may trigger budget cuts the following year.

常見錯誤

❌We underspend the budget by $5,000 last year.
✅We underspent the budget by $5,000 last year.
💡Underspend is an irregular verb: underspend → underspent → underspent.
❌The department underspent 20% of the budget.
✅The department underspent the budget by 20%.
💡The amount underspent is expressed with 'by', not as a direct object.