overestimate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overestimates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overestimated,
past participle, past
-
overestimating
present participle
-
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
-
overestimates
plural
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overestimatesimple
-
overestimatessimple
-
have overestimatedperfect
-
has overestimatedperfect
-
am overestimatingprogressive
-
are overestimatingprogressive
-
is overestimatingprogressive
-
have been overestimatingperfect progressive
-
has been overestimatingperfect progressive
Past
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overestimatedsimple
-
had overestimatedperfect
-
was overestimatingprogressive
-
were overestimatingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
However, don’t overestimate the value of these credentials, according to job-market experts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
"If you are contacting a sample with a gloved hand, you're likely imparting these stearates that could overestimate your results."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026
We always overestimate the speed at which these transitions disrupt existing industries.
From Barron's ● Mar. 27, 2026
Unfortunately, investors overestimate their chances of picking those winners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
“You overestimate my abilities, but only slightly. And you didn’t answer my question.”
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
NBCUniversal executive Mark Marshall publicly criticized Nielsen, saying it overestimates streaming viewership at the expense of traditional media companies’ valuations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
While a partnership with one of the foremost AI developers would be “a vital long-term strategic move against AI search cannibalization,” the price action Thursday overestimates near-term accretion, Reese asserted.
From Barron's ● Mar. 6, 2026
Yet the American public consistently overestimates the level of crime, believing it to be at historic highs that constitute an epidemic.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2025
For any shot, everyone overestimates the likelihood of it going in.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024
One view underestimates the power of the logical Idea, the other overestimates it.
From History of Modern Philosophy From Nicolas of Cusa to the Present Time by Richard Falckenberg
The company overestimated demand, picked the wrong characters and made too many of dolls, said Gerrick Johnson, senior research analyst at Seaport Research Partners, which has a buy rating on Funko.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
But the strategists hold that these worries are overestimated.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
But experts say another key factor was that India overestimated its own production - and allowed sugar to be exported before the extent of the shortfall became clear.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The EU said AliExpress' "overestimated the effectiveness of its system in detecting and removing illegal products".
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
To make their point, some overestimated that about one-third of the country were confirmed Spiritualists.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
But poultry companies ended up hatching too many chicks and overestimating demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
But investors might be overestimating the odds that central banks will raise rates in response to the war.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
However, Adobe’s buyback pledge indicates that management thinks the market is severely overestimating the impact of such AI on its business.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026
"We may be overestimating microplastics, but there should be none," said McNeil, senior author of the study and U-M professor of chemistry, macromolecular science and engineering, and the Program in the Environment.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026
My father has a bad habit of overestimating his charm—and also my mother’s patience.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
