underawe

under- +‎ awe

underawe (third-person singular simple present underawes, present participle underawing, simple past and past participle underawed)

1. To fail to inspire the intended degree of awe.
   • 2000, Robert J. Caputi, Neville Chamberlain and Appeasement, →ISBN, page 145:

     The absence of a conventional field force of any weight could only serve to underawe the Nazi and Fascist leaderships, ever ready to subjugate a lesser neighbor if an opportunity arose.

   • 2003, Roy Fullick, Shan Hackett: The Pursuit of Exactitude, page 202:

     Thurston Dart was a man suitably underawed by military reputations and he did not hesitate to engage in light-hearted banter with his Principal.

   • 2015, James Kaplan, Sinatra: The Chairman, →ISBN:

     He looked handsome and elegant at the podium, his deep tan contrasting nicely with his white tie, but, either overawed or underawed by the occasion (perhaps a little of both), he failed at first to make contact with the industry crowd, many of whom had welcomed him back to stardom on Oscar night 1954.