overact

[oh-ver-akt]

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verb (used with or without object)

to act in an exaggerated manner.

Origin of overact

First recorded in 1605–15; over- + act

Related formso·ver·ac·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for overact

overdo, exaggerate, overstate, overuse, overemphasize, maximize, magnify, stretch, dramatize, accent, overwork, mug, accentuate, hyperbolize, overdraw, overact, overstress, overextend, overplay, act

Examples from the Web for overact

Historical Examples of overact

I saw Mrs. Drew play Mrs. Malaprop, and it was a lesson to people who overact.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. XXXI, No. 3, July 1908.
Various

British Dictionary definitions for overact

overact

verb

to act or behave in an exaggerated manner, as in a theatrical productionAlso: overplay

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

Word Origin and History for overact

1610s, "to go too far in action," from over- + act (v.). Meaning "to play a part with too much emphasis, to chew the scenery" is from 1630s. Related: Overacted; overacting.