overachieve

American  

[oh-ver-uh-cheev] / ˌoʊ vər əˈtʃiv /

Also over-achieve

verb (used without object)

overachieved, overachieving

1. to perform better or achieve more than people are generally expected to, often because of high ambition, pressure from family, etc.

2. to perform, especially academically, above the potential indicated by tests of one's mental ability or aptitude.

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overachieve British  

/ ˌəʊvərəˈtʃiːv /

verb

1. (intr) to perform (for example, in examinations) better than would be expected on the basis of one's age or talents

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Other Word Forms

• overachievement noun
• overachiever noun

Etymology

Origin of overachieve

1950–55; over- + achieve, or by back formation from overachiever

Example Sentences

There is hope however that China will "underpromise but overachieve" as it has with some previous targets, including on renewable energy.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

"They'll put down a certain number, which is not great, and then they will overachieve it, and China does that a lot."

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025

A lot of them overachieve and I’m very proud of that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025

For outsiders, the Pacific Island teams often overachieve and Fiji beat England in the buildup to lay down a warning to pool rivals Wales and Australia.

From Washington Times • Sep. 1, 2023

A draft document, seen by Reuters last month, showed the EU expects to overachieve its 2030 target and cut emissions by 57%, if countries comply with recently-passed climate policies.

From Reuters • Aug. 24, 2023