overestimate

1 of 2

verb

over·​es·​ti·​mate ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-ˌmāt 

overestimated; overestimating

transitive verb

: to estimate or value (someone or something) too highly

… the senator had been so responsible about his potential tax liabilities that he had substantially overestimated what he owed the government.

—David Burnham

… our habit of overestimating our knowledge and underestimating our ignorance …

—David A. Shaywitz

The emotional power of this reunion can't be overestimated.

—Joe Klein

"I mean that I am afraid I overestimated him. I don't think that he is a painter of the first rank."

—Henry James

overestimate

2 of 2

noun

over·​es·​ti·​mate ˌō-vər-ˈe-stə-mət 

plural overestimates

: an estimate that is too high

overestimates of the company's future profits

Diamond still attacks the growth projections that the utilities have put forward, arguing that the … figures were overestimates …

—Norman Boucher

Synonyms

Verb

• overrate
• overvalue

Examples of overestimate in a Sentence

Verb

the contractors overestimated their ability to do the work on such short notice

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The United States overestimated its capacity to influence Israel’s approach to the war in Gaza and did not sufficiently contend with the regional threat posed by Iran. —Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2024

Investors overestimated the money-making potential of railroads, and once the transcontinental railroad was up and running, reality began to set in about how much money railroads and related investments would actually make. —Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 26 Nov. 2024

Noun

This year’s deficit resulted from a massive overestimate of revenues by Newsom’s administration in 2022, rather than an economic turndown, and some critics have complained that misusing reserves this year could leave them unable to cope with a recession. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024

An analysis of 18 major forest carbon-credits projects, for example, found vast overestimates of their conservation impacts, per a study published last year in Science. —Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 24 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1797, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

overestimate

verb

over·​es·​ti·​mate

ˌō-və-ˈres-tə-ˌmāt

overestimated; overestimating

1

: to estimate as being more than the actual size, quantity, or number

overestimated how many would attend

2

: to place too high a value on : overrate

overestimated his abilities

overestimate

-mət

noun

overestimation

-ˌres-tə-ˈmā-shən

noun