over·es·ti·mate
ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-ˌmāt 
overestimated; overestimating
: to estimate or value (someone or something) too highly
… the senator had been so responsible about his potential tax liabilities that he had substantially overestimated what he owed the government.—
David Burnham
David Burnham… our habit of overestimating our knowledge and underestimating our ignorance …—David A. Shaywitz
David A. ShaywitzThe emotional power of this reunion can't be overestimated.—Joe Klein
Joe Klein"I mean that I am afraid I overestimated him. I don't think that he is a painter of the first rank."—Henry James
Henry James
over·es·ti·mate
ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-mət
plural overestimates
: an estimate that is too high
overestimates of the company's future profits
Diamond still attacks the growth projections that the utilities have put forward, arguing that the … figures were overestimates …—Norman Boucher
Norman BoucherSynonyms
Examples of overestimate in a Sentence
Verb
the contractors overestimated their ability to do the work on such short notice
Recent Examples on the WebJason Walker, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Pulse oximeter readings consistently overestimated oxygen levels in Black and Hispanic patients.
—Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024
An analysis of 18 major forest carbon-credits projects, for example, found vast overestimates of their conservation impacts, per a study published last year in Science.
—Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for overestimate 
Verb
Is your boss over the top regarding self-promotion while overestimating their abilities and undermining yours?
—Jason Walker, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Pulse oximeter readings consistently overestimated oxygen levels in Black and Hispanic patients.
—Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
This year’s deficit resulted from a massive overestimate of revenues by Newsom’s administration in 2022, rather than an economic turndown, and some critics have complained that misusing reserves this year could leave them unable to cope with a recession.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024
An analysis of 18 major forest carbon-credits projects, for example, found vast overestimates of their conservation impacts, per a study published last year in Science.
—Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for overestimate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overestimate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overestimate
Cite this Entry
“Overestimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overestimate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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