underachiever
Americannoun
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a student who performs less well in school than would be expected on the basis of abilities indicated by intelligence and aptitude tests, etc.
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a person or thing that performs below expectations.
Etymology
Origin of underachiever
1945–50; under- + achiever ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing underachiever
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 club has won back to back NFC Easts and delivered a title just two seasons ago, but remains dogged by underachiever vibes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Newcastle, who will be playing Champions League football for the second time in three years next season, couldn't exactly be classed as an underdog - but they have most certainly been an underachiever.
From BBC ● May 27, 2025
A committed underachiever, Remi was going blind in her left eye but too slowly to warrant anybody’s concern.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2024
In sports, it’s customary to blame the most flamboyant underachiever you can find, and OBJ has done little to help his image lately.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 7, 2021
Bart Simpson, the underachiever, "mediocre and proud of it," is a model for everyone who is told that what really counts is to feel good, period.
From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin
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.
