Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “underachiever” come from?

underachiever (English) comes from English underachieve, from English achieve, from Middle English acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, from Old French achever, from Latin accapāre, from Latin Ad, from Latin illic.

underachiever (English): One who underachieves, i.e. performs less well...

Definitions

  1. One who underachieves, i.e. performs less well...

Ancestry of “underachiever”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunderachieveTo achieve less than expected; to fail to fulfil...
2EnglishachieveTo succeed in something, now especially in...
3Middle Englishacheven—
4Anglo-Normanachever—
5Old Frenchachever—
6Latinaccapāre—
7LatinAd—
8Latinilliche, she, it, yonder, that, overthere; in that...
9Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
10LatinolleArchaic form of ille
11Proto-Italic*olnos—
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnos →