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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Over the course of the show’s eight year run, this moment was not always taken as a given; the son, Theo Huxtable, was for years presented as a chronic underachiever, more interested in the typical trappings of teenage boyhood—friends, parties, girls, motorcycles.
—
Mychal Denzel Smith, Time, 22 July 2025
Especially given the turmoil with the other edge rushers, eyes are focused on seeing if Murphy looks like the same underachiever from the first two years or a blossoming athletic specimen.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Who better to show a chronic underachiever how to maximize his gifts than a player preparing for a record 23rd season?
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
On the other side, some health-care underachievers like Bristol Myers and Danaher are finally bouncing after their rough couple of months.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 1 July 2025
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Mychal Denzel Smith, Time, 22 July 2025
Especially given the turmoil with the other edge rushers, eyes are focused on seeing if Murphy looks like the same underachiever from the first two years or a blossoming athletic specimen.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Who better to show a chronic underachiever how to maximize his gifts than a player preparing for a record 23rd season?
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
On the other side, some health-care underachievers like Bristol Myers and Danaher are finally bouncing after their rough couple of months.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 1 July 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 6 Sep. 2025.
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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