Not given enough money to do the job properly. You use it about things that run on a budget — a school, a hospital, a public library, a research project, a government department. The organization exists and is trying, but the money that comes in falls short of what the work actually needs, so classes get crowded, equipment breaks and stays broken, and staff leave.

Not given enough money to do the job properly沒有拿到足夠的錢把事情做好；you use it about things that run on a budget用在靠預算運作的東西上——a school學校、a hospital醫院、a public library公立圖書館、a research project研究計畫、a government department政府部門；the organization exists and is trying這個機構還在運作、也在努力，but但 the money that comes in falls short of what the work actually needs進來的錢不夠這份工作真正需要的，so所以 classes get crowded班級變得擁擠，equipment breaks and stays broken設備壞了也沒修，and而且 staff leave員工也會離職。

The word is almost always political, and it carries a quiet accusation: someone decided how much to give, and they gave too little. That is why you meet it constantly in news reports and in the mouths of people arguing for more money.

The word almost always這個字幾乎總是 is political帶有政治意味，and而且 it carries a quiet accusation暗藏一種指控：someone decided how much to give有人決定要給多少，and而 they gave too little他們給得太少了；that is why這就是為什麼 you meet it constantly in news reports你會在新聞報導裡常常看到它，and而且 in the mouths of people arguing for more money也會出現在爭取更多經費的人口中。

Note that it describes an organization or a project, not a person — a person short of money is 'broke' or 'struggling', never underfunded. The usual partner word is 'understaffed' (not enough people), and the two show up together so often that 'underfunded and understaffed' has become a set phrase.

Note that你要注意 it describes an organization or a project它形容的是機構或計畫，not而不是 a person一個人——a person short of money缺錢的人 is 'broke' or 'struggling'要說broke或struggling，never而不會說 underfunded underfunded；the usual partner word常見的搭配詞 is是 'understaffed' (not enough people)understaffed（人手不夠），and而 the two show up together so often這兩個字太常一起出現，that以至於 'underfunded and understaffed' has become a set phrase「underfunded and understaffed」已經變成固定說法。