Overexpectations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instance or act of expecting more from a situation or person than is realistically attainable or reasonable
2. A situation where there is a high level of anticipation for outcomes that exceed what is likely to happen
3. The condition of holding unrealistic hopes or assumptions regarding results or behavior beyond practical limits

Etymology: "Overexpectations" is the plural of "overexpectation," a noun built from the prefix "over-" attached to "expectation." The prefix means "excessively" or "beyond what is proper," so the compound describes expectations held to a degree greater than is warranted. "Expectation" itself comes from the Latin "exspectatio," a noun from "exspectare," meaning "to look out for" or "to await," with "ex-" intensifying the sense of watching for something. English took the base word from Latin, and it carries that sense of waiting with alert attention. Attaching "over-" to it produces a word that says, in effect, that the waiting has been pitched too high.

Synonyms: excessive expectations, unrealistic expectations

Antonyms: underexpectations