underweening

Extremely modest.

Adjective

  1. Extremely modest.
    • It is quite possible Challis may think you have an overweening estimate of foreigners and that a particular foreigner may think that your estimate of him is underweening as compared with his own. - 1995, James Clerk...
    • But when this same, very likable but nebbishy comedian pretends to be that supremely ambitious youth, Phaethon, the tragic ride in the chariot of the Sun-God is reduced from overweening to underweening. - 1971, New...
    • Is it possible to be underweening? Too unassuming in one's opinions? - 2008, Chet Raymo, When God is gone everything is holy:

Origin

From underween + -ing.

Forms

more underweening most underweening

Noun

  1. Undervaluation.
    • Here is forbidden an over or underweening of the good things in our selves, - 1637, A Short Treatise Contayning all the Principall Grounds of Christian Religion, page 211:
    • But the greatest underweening of this life is to undervalue that, unto which this is but Exordial or a Passage leading unto it. - 1909, Sir Thomas Browne, Religio medici and other writings:

Verb

  1. present participle and gerund of underween

Related

underween