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
- overestimation noun
Etymology
Origin of overestimate
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.
This is a far higher proportion than we would see if Wall Street analysts were equally likely to overestimate earnings as underestimate them.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Unfortunately, investors overestimate their chances of picking those winners.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Armour's letter said that education was facing a gap of £250m, and he could not "overestimate the financial challenge we face in seeking to address our funding gap".
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
Because plants depend on this process to access nitrogen, the overestimate has meaningful consequences.
From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026
I've spent so much time making sure I don't underestimate my opponents that I've forgotten it's just as dangerous to overestimate them as well.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
