Synonyms

overact

American

[oh-ver-akt] / ˌoʊ vərˈækt /

verb (used with or without object)

to act in an exaggerated manner.

overact British

/ ˌəʊvərˈækt /

verb

Also: overplay. to act or behave in an exaggerated manner, as in a theatrical production

"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

Other Word Forms

overaction noun

Etymology

Origin of overact

First recorded in 1605–15; over- + act

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.

Even Leeds’ Thespians on Demand, the famed English acting troupe known far and wide for their loud voices and shameless overacting, could not hold a candle to this family.

From Literature

“Fiddler” can sometimes occasion a flood of overacting.

From Los Angeles Times

“I wanted to direct cartoon characters that gave me performances full of truth, full of emotion, full of sincerity, where they are not overacting,” Berger says.

From Los Angeles Times

Then came the guards yelling, recordings that Burn monitored for overacting.

From Los Angeles Times

They can reveal if the people caught in action are hiding from the camera or posing for it, and if they are speaking naturally or being loud and overacting.

From BBC

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