underachiever

noun

un·​der·​achiev·​er ˌən-dər-ə-ˈchē-vər How to pronounce underachiever (audio)
: one (such as a student) that fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected
underachieve intransitive verb
underachievement noun

Examples of underachiever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The trophy cements an excellent turnaround under Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag who has transformed the club from perennial underachievers to trophy winners in just over 10 months. Ben Church, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024 This perennial underachiever has averaged two touchdowns and less than 700 over three NFL seasons. Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2024 For Donaldson, who developed into an elite third baseman who finished in the Top 10 of MVP voting his final two years in Oakland, the A’s got three huge underachievers and a decent pitcher (Graveman). Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 30 July 2024 Hampshire is an educational experiment—independent study and no grades—where students are sometimes described as underachievers. Dan Koeppel, Outside Online, 5 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for underachiever 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underachiever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underachiever was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near underachiever

Cite this Entry

“Underachiever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underachiever. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

underachiever

noun
un·​der·​achiev·​er ˌən-də-rə-ˈchē-vər How to pronounce underachiever (audio)
: one (as a student) that fails to do as well as expected

Medical Definition

underachiever

noun
un·​der·​achiev·​er ˌən-dər-ə-ˈchē-vər How to pronounce underachiever (audio)
: a person (as a student) who fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected
underachieve
-ˈchēv
intransitive verb
underachieved; underachieving
underachievement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on underachiever

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