WordGarden.ioovershot
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ˌəʊvəʃˈɒt/
US
- /ˈoʊvərˌʃɑt/
Meanings
Verb
went past a target, destination, or stopping point
exceeded a target, estimate, or acceptable level
Beyond the definition
Imagine an archer aiming for the bullseye. If the arrow goes past it, it has gone too far. That is the core idea behind overshot: someone or something went beyond what was intended, expected, or needed. The word often describes physical movement, such as a train that overshot the station or a pilot who overshot the runway. But it is also common in less literal situations, like a government that overshot its yearly budget or a runner who overshot their target pace.
Today, you are more likely to hear it when someone has overshot a goal, a limit, or a stopping point. It usually suggests that the person or thing did not stop, aim, or judge things quite right, even when the final result is not completely bad.
Overshot is the past tense and past participle of overshoot. It means that someone or something went beyond an intended limit, target, stopping point, or expectation. The idea is not just "more than" in a general sense, but "past the right point." That point may be physical, numerical, or figurative. For example, you might say, "The driver overshot the turn and ended up in a ditch," meaning the driver failed to turn at the correct place because they were going too fast or reacted too late.
The word is often used for movement through space. A car can overshoot a turn, a train can overshoot a station, and a plane can overshoot a runway. In each case, the motion carries on past the point where it should have stopped or changed direction. This use often suggests poor timing, too much speed, or a small mistake in control.
It is also widely used in abstract situations. A team can overshoot its budget, a plan can overshoot its deadline, and a person can overshoot a goal or target. In these cases, the sense is still the same: the result went beyond the intended mark. Sometimes that is clearly bad, as when costs rise too high. Sometimes it can sound partly positive, as when sales overshot expectations, though it still suggests that the original estimate was off.
You may also see the word used in a broader sense for judgment or behavior. Someone can overshoot in an argument by pushing too hard, or a policy can overshoot its aim by creating effects that are stronger than intended. In all of these uses, overshot carries the feeling of going too far past the proper point. That is why it often appears in stories about driving, sports, budgets, forecasts, and planning.
Examples
- 1
Road travel
We overshot the exit and had to drive to the next junction.
- 2
Aviation safety
The plane overshot the runway in heavy rain, but no one was hurt.
- 3
Sports
The ball overshot the net and landed in the crowd.
- 4
Budget
The renovation overshot its budget by nearly $10,000.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Criticism
Her criticism overshot the mark and started to sound personal.
- Phraseovershot the mark
went too far, especially in speech or behavior
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- overshotverbadjective