overshoot
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overshoots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overshot,
past participle, past
-
overshooting
present participle
-
to shoot or go over, beyond, or above; miss.
The missile overshot its target.
-
to pass or go by or beyond (a point, limit, etc.).
to overshoot a stop sign.
-
to shoot or pour down over.
turbulent water overshooting the top of the dam.
-
to overreach (oneself or itself); go further than is intended or proper; go too far.
It looked as though his self-confidence had overshot itself.
-
(of an aircraft or pilot) to fly too far along (a landing strip) in attempting to land.
verb (used without object)
-
overshoots,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overshot,
past participle, past
-
overshooting
present participle
-
to fly or go beyond.
-
to shoot over or above a mark.
noun
-
a shooting beyond a specified point or target.
two overshoots in the missile test series.
-
the amount of excessive distance in a trajectory or route.
a two-mile overshoot on the artillery range.
verb
-
to shoot or go beyond (a mark or target)
-
to cause (an aircraft) to fly or taxi too far along (a runway) during landing or taking off, or (of an aircraft) to fly or taxi too far along a runway
-
(tr) to pass swiftly over or down over, as water over a wheel
noun
-
an act or instance of overshooting
-
the extent of such overshooting
-
a momentary excessive response of an electrical or mechanical system
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overshootsimple
-
overshootssimple
-
have overshotperfect
-
has overshotperfect
-
am overshootingprogressive
-
are overshootingprogressive
-
is overshootingprogressive
-
have been overshootingperfect progressive
-
has been overshootingperfect progressive
Past
-
overshotsimple
-
had overshotperfect
-
was overshootingprogressive
-
were overshootingprogressive
-
had been overshootingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overshoot
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English oversheten, overshoten; over- + shoot 1 ( def. )
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:
He said the borrowing overshoot "will probably get bigger" this year as economic growth slows and the government rolls out more measures to support households with the cost of living.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
At the same time, economists warn that aggressive spending on data-center construction and equipment increases the risk that the build-out and the costs will overshoot the demand for data-center capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
"We must act with far greater urgency to strictly limit the magnitude and duration of any overshoot beyond 1.5C," Guterres said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
According to the study, dependence on fossil fuels has temporarily hidden the effects of ecological overshoot by supporting food production, industrial growth, and energy supplies.
From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026
Jason and Frank were forced to overshoot the Argo II and fly toward Fort Sumter.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
The implication is clear: Central banks are preparing the public for a world in which inflation persistently overshoots 2%.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Still, unless inflation significantly overshoots expectations in the coming months, policymakers will likely stay on hold when they next meet in June, ING economists said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Even if the company overshoots its needs, it would “simply grow into the capacity over time,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 11, 2026
“Sometimes it overshoots and then it will actually tank, which will make you feel less energetic.”
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2023
At terminal stations the steam should be shut off earlier than at roadside stations, as a collision will take place at terminal stations if the train overshoots the place where it ought to stop.
From A Catechism of the Steam Engine by John Bourne, C.E.
“While the single-family-home market is still recovering from the COVID-era shock, the condo market has overshot its baseline considerably,” Berner said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The chip selloff looks like it overshot, too.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
Stuart McCloskey's clean break came after replacement Jack van Poortvliet, who had long arrived on the field in place of the injured Alex Mitchell, overshot the read, with Ollie Lawrence then fended off.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
The rise in the official cash rate last week reversed a cut delivered in August, after the trajectory for inflation overshot the RBA’s forecasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
It looked as if it was going to land right next to it, but it turned late and overshot the mark by about three feet.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
Japan’s central bank kept monetary policy unchanged, though the BOJ’s governor signaled growing concerns about inflation overshooting its goal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
That forecast sees inflation overshooting the ECB's two-percent inflation target this year and next.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda noted board members are concerned about prices overshooting due to higher energy costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
It then touched down but failed to stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac before coming to rest in shallow water, the CAA's director Ahmed Macalin Hassan said.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
The cars disappeared into the distance, overshooting as she skimmed the iron vein.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
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.
