overestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to estimate at too high a value, amount, rate, or the like.
Don't overestimate the car's trade-in value.
-
to hold in too great esteem or to expect too much from.
Don't overestimate him—he's no smarter than you are.
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overestimatesimple
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overestimatessimple
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have overestimatedperfect
-
has overestimatedperfect
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am overestimatingprogressive
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are overestimatingprogressive
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is overestimatingprogressive
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have been overestimatingperfect progressive
-
has been overestimatingperfect progressive
Past
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overestimatedsimple
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had overestimatedperfect
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was overestimatingprogressive
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were overestimatingprogressive
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had been overestimatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overestimate
Explanation
If you're confident your favorite team will win the championship even though the star player is injured, you may want to reconsider: don't let your team spirit cause you to overestimate, or overvalue, the team's abilities. When you estimate something, you make a calculation or a judgment of its value. So, when you overestimate, you assign too much value to the thing you are judging. If you overestimate how much time you have left to get to school, you could be late. Likewise, if you overestimate how prepared you are for a test, you might end up with a poor grade. This verb is the opposite of underestimate, or “to assign too little value.”
Vocabulary lists containing overestimate
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East of Eden
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clooney noted he and Pitt had even given back of part of their salary to make it happen, and said reports of how much they'd been paid for the film had been wildly over-estimated.
From BBC • Sep. 2, 2024
Maybe Woot over-estimated the demand for the jumbo-sized Pixel 6 Pro with the Pixel 6A coming soon?
From The Verge • Jun. 29, 2022
I first started freezing onions years ago when I over-estimated how quickly I could go through an extra-large bag of Vidalias.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2022
“Most rescues are going to be over-estimated ability,” Berrysmith said.
From Washington Times • Jun. 27, 2021
Thus Sand over-estimated the evil influence which Kotzebue exercised through his writings, without making himself sufficiently acquainted with these writings.
From The Student-Life of Germany by Howitt, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
