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Synonyms

overly

American  
[oh-ver-lee] / ˈoʊ vər li /

adverb

  1. excessively; too.

    a voyage not overly dangerous.
    Synonyms:
    inordinately, immoderately
overly British  
/ ˈəʊvəlɪ /

adverb

  1. too; excessively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of overly

before 1050; Middle English; Old English oferlīce. See over, -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Campbell-ytics”: Overly aggressive play-calling while completely ignoring the catastrophic consequences to a team’s momentum when it doesn’t work.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2024

Yet, as Mr Klavins of Overly cautions, content is key.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2023

Overly optimistic views on property and tech regulations being relaxed are also reasons for investors to be cautious, analysts warn.

From Reuters • Feb. 15, 2023

Overly strict regulations could stifle innovation and prevent the technology from reaching its full potential.

From Scientific American • Dec. 28, 2022

Overly conscious of his deficiencies, he signed up for classes at the New York Academy of Art.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.