overachieve

overachieve — verb

1. to get noticeably better results in study or work than people thought you or you

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to get noticeably better results in study or work than people thought you or your team would get

例句

Despite starting late, Salma overachieved on the final project and earned top marks.

overachieve on + project

The small sales team overachieved this quarter after landing two hospital contracts.

同義詞
  • excel

    focuses on doing extremely well, even when there was no clear expectation to beat

  • outperform

    usually compares results directly with another person, team, or standard

  • succeed

    broader and more neutral; it can mean simply reaching a goal

反義詞

文法句型

overachieve at school / work

overachieve in exams / competitions

overachieve on a project / task

用法筆記

Usually used about students, workers, or teams whose results turn out much better than expected. It is intransitive, so the task or setting normally comes after at, in, or on, not as a direct object.

常見錯誤

❌Salma overachieved the exam.
✅Salma overachieved in the exam.
💡'overachieve' is intransitive and needs a preposition before the task or setting.
❌Leo overachieved because he stayed awake all night.
✅Leo pushed himself too hard by staying awake all night.
💡this sense is about unexpectedly strong results, not simply unhealthy effort.

2. to drive yourself harder than is healthy because you are too determined to succe

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to drive yourself harder than is healthy because you are too determined to succeed in study or work

例句

Tyler kept overachieving at the firm, sleeping under his desk before deadlines.

negative tone: unhealthy extra effort

Christopher began to overachieve after every monthly report became a competition.

begin to overachieve

同義詞
  • overwork

    focuses more on exhausting labor than on achievement itself

  • push yourself too hard

    plain everyday wording for the same unhealthy pressure

  • obsess

    stronger and broader; it can describe unhealthy fixation beyond school or work performance

反義詞

文法句型

overachieve at work

begin to overachieve

keep overachieving

用法筆記

Distinguish this from sense 1: this use is critical rather than admiring. It focuses on pressure, strain, or unhealthy self-demand, even if the final results are ordinary.

常見錯誤

❌Nina overachieved all weekend and still felt relaxed.
✅Nina worked hard all weekend and still felt relaxed.
💡this sense suggests strain or unhealthy pressure, not calm normal effort.
❌The team overachieved by winning the title.
✅The team overachieved by winning the title, even though nobody expected it.
💡without the idea of pressure or unexpectedly high results, readers will usually understand sense 1 instead.

overachieve — noun