underachievement
成績不振
解説 Definition
期待よりも低い学業成績。学習段階での低い達成を示す名詞です。
Underachievement is doing worse than expected, especially in school, work, or sports. It describes a situation where someone has the ability to do better but does not reach that level. It is often used when talking about low performance over time.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず achievement を「達成・成果」として押さえ、その前に under が付くと「基準より下の達成」だと見えるようにすると覚えやすいです。単なる failure ほど全面的な失敗ではなく、「能力や期待のわりに伸びていない」という含みが強い語です。学業文脈で academic underachievement, student underachievement の形で出やすく、「本来もっと取れるのに成績が低い状態」を思い浮かべると定着します。
Break it into `under + achievement`. If achievement is reaching a goal, `underachievement` is reaching less than people expect or less than you are able to do. It often appears in school phrases like `academic underachievement`, so connect it with a student who could do better but does not.
例文
Underachievement in school worried his parents.
学校での成績不振は両親を心配させた。
Teachers address underachievement through intervention.
教師は介入を通じて成績不振に対処する。
His underachievement was due to lack of motivation.
彼の成績不振は動機づけの欠如が原因だった。
underachievement の類義語・関連語
underachievement の語源・成り立ち Etymology
underachievementはunder-「下に」+ achieve「成し遂げる」+ -mentで、achieveは古フランス語由来、さらにchief「頭・頂点」と同根です。届くはずの頂点まで行かない達成なので、能力に見合わない成績という意味になります。関連語はachieveとchief。
`Underachievement` combines `under-`, `achievement`, and `-ment`. `Achieve` came from Old French and is related to `chief`, from a root meaning "head" or "top." The idea is of not reaching the level or high point that could be reached, which led to the modern sense of performing below one's ability.
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