overestimate

1 of 2

verb

over·​es·​ti·​mate ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-ˌmāt 

overestimated; overestimating

transitive verb

: 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

… our habit of overestimating our knowledge and underestimating our ignorance …

—David A. Shaywitz

The emotional power of this reunion can't be overestimated.

—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

overestimate

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms of overestimate

Verb

• appreciate
• value
• overrate
• overvalue
• admire
• respect

Examples of overestimate in a Sentence

Verb

the contractors overestimated their ability to do the work on such short notice

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Most enterprises overestimate how ready their data is and the gap can show up the moment agents start acting on it. — Girija Krishnamurthy, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Many investors bought into the tech sector after enormous gains had already happened, ignoring valuations and overestimating their risk tolerance until volatility showed up in their portfolio, Hickle said. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 21 July 2026

Noun

Previously, it’s been reported that 85% of PlayStation sales are digital now, though fans digging into those numbers say that’s an overestimate, as many digital-only games do not get a physical release at all, which factors into those figures. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

That could result in an underestimate or an overestimate of disruptions, depending on which organizations were missed. — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1797, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overestimate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Kids Definition

overestimate

verb

over·​es·​ti·​mate

ˌō-və-ˈres-tə-ˌmāt

overestimated; overestimating

1

: to estimate as being more than the actual size, quantity, or number

overestimated how many would attend

2

: to place too high a value on : overrate

overestimated his abilities

overestimate

-mət

noun

overestimation

-ˌres-tə-ˈmā-shən

noun