"punch below one's weight" meaning in English

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "overachieve"
    },
    {
      "word": "punch above one's weight"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to the sport of boxing, where contenders fight in various weight classes.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "punches below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punching below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "punch below one's weight (third-person singular simple present punches below one's weight, present participle punching below one's weight, simple past and past participle punched below 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": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001 September 29, “For men who should know better”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 2009-12-23:",
          "text": "But the overall effect is flimsy and insubstantial, a gifted writer punching well below his weight.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 29, Jonathan Head, “Pita Limjaroenrat: Thai election upstart who vows to be different”, in BBC:",
          "text": "Under the military-backed governments of the past decade Thailand is widely viewed as having punched below its weight in international affairs, with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha taking little interest in foreign policy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "id": "en-punch_below_one's_weight-en-verb-eQGXpNOU",
      "links": [
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "perform",
          "perform"
        ],
        [
          "preparation",
          "preparation"
        ],
        [
          "attribute",
          "attribute"
        ],
        [
          "rank",
          "rank"
        ],
        [
          "accomplishment",
          "accomplishment"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "underachieve"
        },
        {
          "word": "hit below one's weight"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-punch below one's weight.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "punch below one's weight"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "overachieve"
    },
    {
      "word": "punch above one's weight"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to the sport of boxing, where contenders fight in various weight classes.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "punches below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punching below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "punched below one's weight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "punch below one's weight (third-person singular simple present punches below one's weight, present participle punching below one's weight, simple past and past participle punched below one's weight)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001 September 29, “For men who should know better”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 2009-12-23:",
          "text": "But the overall effect is flimsy and insubstantial, a gifted writer punching well below his weight.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 May 29, Jonathan Head, “Pita Limjaroenrat: Thai election upstart who vows to be different”, in BBC:",
          "text": "Under the military-backed governments of the past decade Thailand is widely viewed as having punched below its weight in international affairs, with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha taking little interest in foreign policy.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To achieve or perform at a level lower than should 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 achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-punch below one's weight.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/ba/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/En-au-punch_below_one%27s_weight.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "underachieve"
    },
    {
      "word": "hit below one's weight"
    }
  ],
  "word": "punch below one's weight"
}