underachiever

/ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈʌndɚətʃˌivɚ] /ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvər/ (ame, ipa) · [ˈʌndɚətʃˌivɚ] /ˌən-dər-ə-ˈchē-vər How to pronounce underachiever (audio)/ (ame, mw)

underachiever — noun

  • underachieversingular
  • underachieversplural

1. a person whose actual performance at school or work falls short of what their na

1.名詞B2
釋義

a person whose actual performance at school or work falls short of what their natural ability or potential suggests they could achieve

例句

Talia was labelled an underachiever despite scoring well on intelligence tests.

passive: labelled an underachiever

The school set up a mentoring program to help underachievers in maths and science.

collocation: help underachievers in [subject]

同義詞
  • underperformer

    more common in workplace and sports contexts, less clinical

  • low achiever

    more neutral; describes results directly without assuming hidden potential

  • late bloomer

    inverse — someone who eventually succeeds after a slow start

反義詞
  • overachiever

    someone who performs better than expected based on measured ability

  • high achiever

    someone who consistently reaches or exceeds goals

用法筆記

Frequently used in educational and psychological reports; the label implies the person has unfulfilled potential rather than low ability.

常見錯誤

❌He is an underachiever because he never studies.
✅He is an underachiever because his test scores are far lower than his IQ suggests.
💡The word focuses on the gap between ability and performance, not simply on lack of effort.