overachieve
Americanverb (used without object)
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to perform better or achieve more than people are generally expected to, often because of high ambition, pressure from family, etc.
-
to perform, especially academically, above the potential indicated by tests of one's mental ability or aptitude.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overachieve
1950–55; over- + achieve, or by back formation from overachiever
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.
See Examples For:
Paradoxically, the social pressure to overachieve as a parent only seems to intensify with mothers’ increased participation in the labor market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
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
That I had to shrink, impress or overachieve to deserve it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 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
McDermott noted that the company overachieved in the second quarter with some federal deals, but was still raising its full-year forecast.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Meanwhile, gross margins overachieved in the quarter, on the strength of tariff recovery.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
“I never knew if I overachieved or underachieved. I just did what I loved,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
From Hercules to Elche, Alaves to Getafe, he has consistently overachieved with squads of modest talent.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2025
The Seahawks vastly overachieved expectations after trading quarterback Russell Wilson and now have a No. 5 overall draft pick coming, courtesy of the Broncos, to add a high-impact player.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023
Long before Urschel became an assistant professor at MIT studying matrices, spectral graph theory and other subjects that sound like gibberish to just about everybody, he was an overachieving kid attending Penn State.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It’s a confounding and destabilizing experience for overachieving women used to being on top of every detail.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Izzo’s history of overachieving with his seed makes his team dangerous, starting with a matchup against North Dakota State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
Emery, though, defended his side and insisted even if their title hopes are done they are overachieving.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
He was the embodiment of the myth that had made Permian so enormously popular—small, overachieving, white, fearless.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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