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
Who better to show a chronic underachiever how to maximize his gifts than a player preparing for a record 23rd season?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
It has been a year of the underdog - and also, in a couple of cases, the 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
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
