punch below one's weight
To achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's…To achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments.
» South Korea punches above its weight in the global economy.
Lumi · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To achieve or perform at a level lower than should be expected based on one's preparation, attributes, rank, or past accomplishments.
Examples
1 sentencesSouth Korea punches above its weight in the global economy.
Origin
An allusion to the sport of boxing, where contenders fight in various weight classes.An allusion to the sport of boxing, where contenders fight in various weight classes.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
punches below one's weight, punching below one's weight, punched below one's weight, punched below one's weight| Base form | punch below one's weight · to punch below one's weight |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | punches below one's weight |
| Present participle | punching below one's weight |
| Past simple | punched below one's weight |
| Past participle | punched below one's weight |
irregular
Present simpleLesson
| I, you, we, they | punch below one's weight |
| he, she, it | punches below one's weight |
Past simpleLesson
| all persons | punched below one's weight |
Present perfectLesson
| I, you, we, they | have punched below one's weight |
| he, she, it | has punched below one's weight |
Future simple (will)Lesson
| all persons | will punch below one's weight |
Synonyms
1 synonymsAntonyms
2 antonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.