Meanings
verbunderachieve (third-person singular simple present underachieves, present participle underachieving, simple past and past participle underachieved)
present singular third person underachieves · participle present underachieving · participle past underachieved · past underachieved
- To achieve less than expected; to fail to fulfil one's potential.
Synonyms: punch below one's weight, underperform, underattain
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo achieve less than expected; to fail to fulfil one's potential.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁entér
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂én
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰí
- Proto-Indo-European*(H)n̥dʰér
- Proto-Germanic*under
- Proto-West Germanic*undar
- Old Englishunder-
- Middle Englishunder-
- Englishunder-
- Middle Englishachieven
- Englishachieve
- Englishunderachieve
Cite this entry
APA
underachieve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underachieve
MLA
“underachieve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underachieve. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underachieve,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underachieve.
Source: underachieve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.