underachiever
noun
un·der·achiev·er
ˌən-dər-ə-ˈchē-vər 
: one (such as a student) that fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected
Examples of underachiever in a Sentence
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There’s no time to waste in turning around the fortunes of the Premier League’s biggest underachievers.
—
Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
And he is viewed as an underachiever.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
The difference in the case of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys is that many of its students, grades 4 through 8, arrive at the school as underachievers but receive the type of support that prepares them to be college and career-ready.
—Walter Fields, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
In July, Nike brought in a new chief executive officer for Converse, which has been somewhat of an underachiever in terms of its revenue contribution to the company over the years.
—Jennie Bell, Footwear News, 30 Dec. 2025
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Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
And he is viewed as an underachiever.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
The difference in the case of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys is that many of its students, grades 4 through 8, arrive at the school as underachievers but receive the type of support that prepares them to be college and career-ready.
—Walter Fields, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
In July, Nike brought in a new chief executive officer for Converse, which has been somewhat of an underachiever in terms of its revenue contribution to the company over the years.
—Jennie Bell, Footwear News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underachiever
Cite this Entry
“Underachiever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underachiever. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
underachiever
noun
un·der·achiev·er
ˌən-də-rə-ˈchē-vər
: 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
: a person (as a student) who fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected
underachieve
intransitive verb
-ˈchēv
underachieved; underachieving
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