"punch above one's weight" meaning in English

See punch above one's weight in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /pʌntʃ əˈbʌv wʌnz weɪt/ [General-American, Received-Pronunciation] Audio: En-au-punch above one's weight.ogg Forms: punches above one's weight [present, singular, third-person], punching above one's weight [participle, present], punched above one's weight [participle, past], punched above one's weight [past]
Etymology: An allusion to a boxer who punches more powerfully than other boxers in the same weight class. Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} punch above one's weight (third-person singular simple present punches above one's weight, present participle punching above one's weight, simple past and past participle punched above one's weight)
  1. (idiomatic) To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments. Tags: idiomatic Categories (topical): Boxing Synonyms: punch above one's weight class, hit above one's weight, overachieve Related terms: out of one's league, bite off more than one can chew, outkick one's coverage Translations (achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments): надскачам се (nadskačam se) (Bulgarian), překročit svůj stín (Czech), ylittää kykynsä (overachieve) (Finnish), yrittää liikoja (english: try to) (Finnish), s’attaquer à plus fort que soi (French), s’en prendre à plus fort que soi (French), über seine Grenzen hinaus wachsen (German), występować lepiej, niż się oczekiwało [imperfective] (Polish), wystąpić lepiej, niż się oczekiwało [perfective] (Polish), пры́гнуть вы́ше головы́ (prýgnutʹ výše golový) (Russian), coger cajita (Spanish)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "punch below one's weight"
    },
    {
      "word": "underachieve"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to a boxer who punches more powerfully than other boxers in the same weight class.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "punches above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punching above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "punch above one's weight (third-person singular simple present punches above one's weight, present participle punching above one's weight, simple past and past participle punched above one's weight)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Boxing",
          "orig": "en:Boxing",
          "parents": [
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008 December 11, David Charter, “Ireland takes a gamble on new Lisbon vote”, in The Times, London, retrieved 2009-12-23:",
          "text": "Ireland's current commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, is such a high-profile and outspoken figure who punches above his weight in Brussels in the important role of internal market commissioner.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 January 29, Chris Bevan, “Torquay 0 – 1 Crawley Town”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2016-01-14:",
          "text": "Having spent more than £500,000 on players last summer, Crawley can hardly be classed as minnows but they have still punched way above their weight and this kind of performance means no-one will relish pulling them out of the hat in Sunday's draw.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "2017 Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas\nI can see why you love her so much. You're definitely punching above your weight."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "id": "en-punch_above_one's_weight-en-verb-kNXsyT1l",
      "links": [
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ],
        [
          "preparation",
          "preparation"
        ],
        [
          "attribute",
          "attribute"
        ],
        [
          "rank",
          "rank"
        ],
        [
          "accomplishment",
          "accomplishment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "out of one's league"
        },
        {
          "word": "bite off more than one can chew"
        },
        {
          "word": "outkick one's coverage"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "punch above one's weight class"
        },
        {
          "word": "hit above one's weight"
        },
        {
          "word": "overachieve"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nadskačam se",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "надскачам се"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "překročit svůj stín"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "ylittää kykynsä (overachieve)"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "try to",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "yrittää liikoja"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "s’attaquer à plus fort que soi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "s’en prendre à plus fort que soi"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "über seine Grenzen hinaus wachsen"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "występować lepiej, niż się oczekiwało"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "wystąpić lepiej, niż się oczekiwało"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prýgnutʹ výše golový",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "пры́гнуть вы́ше головы́"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
          "word": "coger cajita"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pʌntʃ əˈbʌv wʌnz weɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-punch above one's weight.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ab/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "punch above one's weight"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "punch below one's weight"
    },
    {
      "word": "underachieve"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to a boxer who punches more powerfully than other boxers in the same weight class.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "punches above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punching above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched above one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "punch above one's weight (third-person singular simple present punches above one's weight, present participle punching above one's weight, simple past and past participle punched above one's weight)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "out of one's league"
    },
    {
      "word": "bite off more than one can chew"
    },
    {
      "word": "outkick one's coverage"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
        "Terms with Czech translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "en:Boxing"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008 December 11, David Charter, “Ireland takes a gamble on new Lisbon vote”, in The Times, London, retrieved 2009-12-23:",
          "text": "Ireland's current commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, is such a high-profile and outspoken figure who punches above his weight in Brussels in the important role of internal market commissioner.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 January 29, Chris Bevan, “Torquay 0 – 1 Crawley Town”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2016-01-14:",
          "text": "Having spent more than £500,000 on players last summer, Crawley can hardly be classed as minnows but they have still punched way above their weight and this kind of performance means no-one will relish pulling them out of the hat in Sunday's draw.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "text": "2017 Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas\nI can see why you love her so much. You're definitely punching above your weight."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ],
        [
          "preparation",
          "preparation"
        ],
        [
          "attribute",
          "attribute"
        ],
        [
          "rank",
          "rank"
        ],
        [
          "accomplishment",
          "accomplishment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To (attempt to) achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pʌntʃ əˈbʌv wʌnz weɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American",
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-punch above one's weight.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ab/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/En-au-punch_above_one%27s_weight.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "punch above one's weight class"
    },
    {
      "word": "hit above one's weight"
    },
    {
      "word": "overachieve"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nadskačam se",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "надскачам се"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "překročit svůj stín"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "ylittää kykynsä (overachieve)"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "try to",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "yrittää liikoja"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "s’attaquer à plus fort que soi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "s’en prendre à plus fort que soi"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "über seine Grenzen hinaus wachsen"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "występować lepiej, niż się oczekiwało"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "wystąpić lepiej, niż się oczekiwało"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prýgnutʹ výše golový",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "пры́гнуть вы́ше головы́"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "achieve or perform at a higher level than would be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments",
      "word": "coger cajita"
    }
  ],
  "word": "punch above one's weight"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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