underachiever

underachiever
   an idle or stupid child
   Literally, a child capable of doing better, especially in examinations, but failing through nervousness or ill-health. As educational jargon, it seeks to excuse wilfulness under a cloak of misfortune:
    ... 'we do have a special course for the Over-active Underachiever,' continued the Headmaster. (Sharpe, 1982)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • underachiever — UK US /ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvər/ noun [C] ► someone who is less successful than they should be at school or at work: »His teachers consistently describe him as an underachiever, despite his artistic talents …   Financial and business terms

  • Underachiever — …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Underachiever — An underachiever is a person and especially a student who fails to achieve his or her potential or does not do as well as expected. Of particular interest is academic underachievement. Studies of individuals who have not realised their apparent… …   Wikipedia

  • underachiever — UK [ˌʌndərəˈtʃiːvə(r)] / US [ˌʌndərəˈtʃɪvər] noun [countable] Word forms underachiever : singular underachiever plural underachievers someone who is not as successful as they could be at work, school etc Derived words: underachieve verb… …   English dictionary

  • Underachiever — Un|der|achie|ver [...ə tʃi:və] der; s, s <aus engl. underachiever »jmd., der enttäuschende Leistungen bietet«> jmd., der schlechtere Leistungen zeigt, als man z. B. aufgrund von Intelligenztests hätte erwarten können; Ggs. ↑Overachiever …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • underachiever — underachieve ► VERB ▪ do less well than is expected. DERIVATIVES underachievement noun underachiever noun …   English terms dictionary

  • Underachiever (song) — Infobox Single Name = Underachiever Artist = Pitchshifter Background = Yellow Album = Infotainment? Released = 1996 Format = Radio Single Recorded = 1995 Genre = Industrial metal Length = 2:50 Label = Earache Records Last single = Triad (1994)… …   Wikipedia

  • underachiever — noun Date: 1952 one (as a student) that fails to attain a predicted level of achievement or does not do as well as expected • underachieve intransitive verb • underachievement noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • underachiever — /un deuhr euh chee veuhr/, n. 1. a student who performs less well in school than would be expected on the basis of abilities indicated by intelligence and aptitude tests, etc. 2. a person or thing that performs below expectations. [1945 50; UNDER …   Universalium

  • underachiever — noun A student who underachieves by performing less well than expected From the episode …   Wiktionary

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