verb / noun
overshoot
oh-vur-SHOOT/ˌəʊvərˈʃuːt/
Going beyond an intended target or limit.
The basketball overshoots the hoop and sails toward the far wall.
Etymology
Shoot could mean moving swiftly, not just firing a weapon. With over- meaning 'beyond,' the compound describes motion that carries past a point or limit rather than stopping where intended.
In context
even if we do overshoot our limits, there's still the world to fight for. And avoiding as many increments of global warming as possible
More examples
- We overshot our spending limit by fifty dollars.
- Her first throw overshoots the target by several feet.
- A brief overshoot raises the oven temperature above the desired setting.
Forms
overshoot · overshoots · overshot · overshooting