Overperform
What it means
To achieve better results than expected.
Reach for it when describing results that exceed a forecast, target, or benchmark
The revised battery continued to overperform in cold-weather tests.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional |
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| formal |
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playful
beat the target
Fits when a numerical goal is clearly exceeded
Careful A target can be gamed or incomplete.
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everyday
exceed expectations
Fits when the benchmark is an expectation rather than a rival
Careful Expectations may have been set too low.
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warm
Fits when a person produces more than a target anticipates
Careful Overachieve can reinforce unhealthy pressure.
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professional
deliver above plan
Fits when planned output is the operational comparison
Careful More output can come with hidden quality or cost problems.
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professional
Fits when results exceed a comparator or benchmark
Careful Outperform need not concern an advance forecast.
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formal
surpass the forecast
Fits when actual results exceed a prior projection
Careful A poor forecast does not prove excellent performance.
Opposites 3
- underperform
- miss the target
- fall short
Common phrases 3
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continue to overperform
The revised battery continued to overperform in cold-weather tests.
-
overperform expectations
The pilot may overperform expectations set by the old baseline.
-
consistently overperform
No employee should need to consistently overperform an unsafe workload.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Overperformance may reflect a weak forecast, added risk, hidden cost, or unsustainable effort; name the benchmark and tradeoffs.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated