Skip to main content
to overachieve

to overachieve

1 5.3
To do better than people expect and have more success
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərəˈtʃiv/
translation icon : sobresalir
  • They're used to striving to overachieve in sports, academics, and even volunteer services, and now they will want to overachieve.
  • the team overachieved

You don't have to overachieve, and for the vast majority of survivors, your B game is more than enough.

Examples

  • Not a huge fan of anything that Angelos touches, but they have certainly overachieved so far.

    Blog text (5)
  • The student managed to overachieve in her exams, earning a scholarship to her dream university.

  • Dad went to every physical therapy session and overachieved at them, although he got off to a slow start in the beginning.

    Blog text (6)
  • In 2013, we are going to overachieve and try to do better than what people are expecting, and we will use this as a growing year.

    Blog text (18)
  • In fact, in some respects, the team has probably overachieved so far.

    Blog text (13)
  • You don't have to overachieve, and for the vast majority of survivors, your B game is more than enough.

  • Sometimes it's the desire to overachieve and impress others that brings on the moodiness and depression.

    Blog text (13)
  • Information and guidance on careers may help families not to overprotect their daughters or pressure them to overachieve.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Do you think the 2012 team has met, underachieved, or overachieved those expectations?

    Blog text (26)
  • So well that many may say we overachieved this season after finishing 3rd in the regular season and 4th after the playoffs with four premiership debutants.

    Blog text (8)

Synonyms

to exceed
vsto overachieve
255 4.1

To be greater than a set amount or beyond what people expect

is about surpassing expected success rather than only passing limits
to surpass
vsto overachieve
100 4.6

To be better than another person or thing

is about beating expectations rather than merely passing a standard
to do better than that
vsto overachieve
58 3.0

Show a higher level of skill or quality than before

is about exceeding expected success rather than improving past performance
to outperform
vsto overachieve
30 4.8

Do better than someone or something

is about beating expectations rather than only outdoing peers
to go above and beyond
vsto overachieve
26 3.7

To do more than is required to help others or complete a task

is about exceeding expected success rather than only extra effort
to outdo
vsto overachieve
22 3.8

Be better than someone at something

is about beating expectations rather than only outdoing peers
to hit a home run
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
17 3.4

To have a big success people do not expect

is about doing better than expected but may suggest regular success
to outshine
vsto overachieve
15 4.8

Do better and get more attention than others

is about exceeding expected success rather than just being impressive
to outmatch
vsto overachieve
8 6.4

Do better than someone in skill or performance

is about beating expectations rather than only comparing with others
to outclass
vsto overachieve
8 4.6

To be much better than someone or something

is about exceeding expected success rather than vast superiority alone
to outstrip
vsto overachieve
7 6.8

To become faster, better, or larger than another

is about exceeding expected success rather than simple growth
to outcompete
vsto overachieve
2 6.1

To do better than someone or something and win

is about exceeding expected success rather than only winning contests
to outgain
vsto overachieve
2 6.7

To gain more than someone else, especially in a competition

is about exceeding expected success rather than simple greater gain
to punch above one's weight
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
1 7.4

To have more success than people expect from your size or ability

is about exceeding expected success rather than surprising relative strength
to hit one out of the ballpark
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
1 7.4

Do much better than expected

is about doing better than expected but usually less extremely
to blow the doors off
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
1 7.2

To do much better than people expect

is about exceeding expectations but not always as dramatic
to outdazzle
vsto overachieve
7.5

To impress people more than others

is about beating expectations rather than only creating a strong impression
to outvie
vsto overachieve
  • Archaic
9.9

To try to be better than someone in a contest or task

is about exceeding expected success rather than mainly competing hard
to outkick one's coverage
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
9.6

To get someone or something better than you deserve

is about exceeding expected success rather than only beating hard odds
to outkick coverage
vsto overachieve
  • Informal
9.6

To get more success or a better partner than you deserve

is about exceeding expected success rather than risky overreach
to beat all expectations
vsto overachieve
3.9

To do much better than people expected

is about steady exceeding of expectations rather than a single surprise
to overgo
vsto overachieve
  • Archaic
9.1

To do better than someone or something

is about exceeding expected success rather than mere excess

Antonyms

898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

Do less well than expected or than they can

How Successful

to excel
58 3.7
to outperform
30 4.8
to overachieve
1 5.3
to succeed
846 2.0

Surface Forms

overachieve infinitive
overachieved past participle
overachieving present participle
overachieves third person singular

Morphology

overachieve = achieve (transparent) = over + over + achieve

Standard productive prefix 'over-' (excess/beyond) combined with the verb 'achieve' yields the clear meaning 'to achieve beyond expectations'.

Etymology

The word overachieve comes from over- meaning 'beyond' and achieve meaning 'to reach a goal'. So to overachieve is to do more than expected and succeed more than people thought you would.