overblown

1
[ oh-ver-blohn ]
/ ˈoʊ vərˈbloʊn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR overblown ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

overdone or excessive: overblown praise.
of unusually large size or proportions: a majestic, overblown figure.
overinflated; turgid; bombastic; pretentious: overblown prose.

verb

past participle of overblow.

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Origin of overblown

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; over- + blown1

Words nearby overblown

overbearing, overbid, overbite, overblouse, overblow, overblown, overboard, overbook, overboot, overbore, overborne

Definition for overblown (2 of 3)

overblown2
[ oh-ver-blohn ]
/ ˈoʊ vərˈbloʊn /

adjective

(of a flower) past the stage of full bloom; more than full-blown: an overblown rose.

Origin of overblown

2
First recorded in 1610–20; over- + blown2

Definition for overblown (3 of 3)

overblow
[ oh-ver-bloh ]
/ ˌoʊ vərˈbloʊ /

verb (used with object), o·ver·blew, o·ver·blown, o·ver·blow·ing.

to give excessive importance or value to: to overblow one's own writing.
to overinflate.
to blow over the surface of, as the wind, sand, or the like: dead leaves overblowing the yard.
to blow (a wind instrument or an organ pipe) in such a way as to produce overtones.

verb (used without object), o·ver·blew, o·ver·blown, o·ver·blow·ing.

to overblow a wind instrument.

Origin of overblow

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at over-, blow2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to overblown

inflated, superfluous, disproportionate, pretentious, aureate, bombastic, flowery, fulsome, grandiloquent, immoderate, magniloquent, oratorical, overdone, pompous, profuse, rhetorical, sonorous, turgid, undue, verbose

Example sentences from the Web for overblown

British Dictionary definitions for overblown (1 of 2)

overblown
/ (ˌəʊvəˈbləʊn) /

adjective

overdone or excessive
bombastic; turgidoverblown prose
(of flowers, such as the rose) past the stage of full bloom

British Dictionary definitions for overblown (2 of 2)

overblow
/ (ˌəʊvəˈbləʊ) /

verb -blows, -blowing, -blew or -blown

music to blow into (a wind instrument) with greater force than normal in order to obtain a harmonic or overtone instead of the fundamental tone
to blow (a wind instrument) or (of a wind instrument) to be blown too hard
to blow over, away, or across
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