overestimate

1 of 2

verb

over·​es·​ti·​mate ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-ˌmāt How to pronounce overestimate (audio)
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 How to pronounce overestimate (audio)
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 overestimatesNorman Boucher

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
Washington should continue to invest in alliances as part of a strategy to deter China but avoid overestimating the importance of these alliances to the overall balance of power in Asia. Susannah Patton, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024 The expansion would open Medicaid eligibility to more people who earn less than the poverty level, reducing the incentive to overestimate their income to qualify for ACA subsidies. Julie Appleby | Kff Health News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1797, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overestimate was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near overestimate

Cite this Entry

“Overestimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overestimate. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on overestimate

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