overachiever

[ oh-ver-uh-chee-ver ]

noun

1. a person who performs better or achieves more than people are generally expected to, often because of high ambition, pressure from family, etc.:

   Ever the overachiever, he reached his sales goal for the year a whopping five months early.

2. a person who performs, especially academically, above the potential indicated by tests of their mental ability or aptitude:

   We found many overachievers with modest SAT scores who nevertheless achieved high GPAs across a variety of majors.

Word History and Origins

Origin of overachiever¹

First recorded in 1935–40; over- ( def ) + achieve ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Only three draft classes — 2006, 2007 and 2008 — have overachieved more than this one at the same point of the season.

From Washington Post

Only three other draft classes, 2006, 2007 and 2008, have overachieved more than the one we are seeing in 2020 at this same point in the season.

From Washington Post

Annie (Alison Brie) was a perfectionist and overachiever who crashed and burned after an Adderall addiction.

From The Daily Beast

To say Paula Broadwell is an overachiever is an understatement.

From The Daily Beast

It will be really, really fast Like that overachiever in your high school, Apple has to be the best at everything.

From The Daily Beast

An overachiever, you nonetheless demand familial support and validation.

From The Daily Beast

“When I want to read a book, I write a book,” quipped the prolific and bestselling overachiever.

From The Daily Beast