overexpose
Americanverb
-
to expose too much or for too long
-
photog to expose (a film, plate, or paper) for too long a period or with too bright a light
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overexpose
Explanation
If you take a photograph in harsh sunlight, you may overexpose it, or ruin it with too much bright light. It might look cool and arty, but it’s usually just a washed out mess. Redo! A bright, washed out photograph that has no sharp details or clear highlights can be the result when you overexpose it. Another way to overexpose is to leave someone open to too much risk or public attention — a pushy stage parent may overexpose a child actor to the media, for example, in an attempt to make them famous. The photography meaning dates from the invention of photography itself in the nineteenth century.
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.
See Examples For:
In telescope digital cameras, they appear as bright streaks of light, which block stars and astronomical objects as well as overexpose the entire field of view.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 7, 2022
As photographers take Nellie’s picture leaving the theater, the flashes of light overexpose the frame, “so you feel almost accosted by the flashbulbs, by the crowd,” Chazelle said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
A few plays here, a few plays there — just enough to give Dart valuable experience but not overexpose him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2021
Defoliation from disease can overexpose tomatoes, as can overzealous pruning, particularly up top.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2021
Both phones had a tendency to slightly overexpose images, and LG had the sharper shot more often than HTC, but that was due to the former company’s continued over-reliance on artificial sharpening.
From The Verge ● Oct. 16, 2017
With commercial tourism, social media and vlogging much of today’s world feels overexposed and overexplained, with seemingly every destination photographed, every experience reviewed and all hidden gems channeled into content.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Rowbottom’s husband, the novelist Jon Lindsey, pointed to her instinct for subjects that literary fiction has historically dismissed — either as unserious, feminine or culturally overexposed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Their newly adopted strategy worked for a few years, until the market crashed in the early 70s, leaving Wellington overexposed and bleeding assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
As a result, banks that are becoming overexposed to Oracle are turning to insurance companies and private credit funds to find buyers for the debt.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 5, 2026
There were overexposed shots of roses, hands pressed together in prayer, more selfies of Maya and Claire together.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Autonomous AI agents can simply be misconfigured, creating vulnerabilities by overexposing and oversharing sensitive data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
"We need to stop inadvertently overexposing elite female athletes," said Hilborne.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025
To the digital cameras on telescopes, they appear as bright streaks of light, blocking stars and astronomical objects while overexposing the entire field of view.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 31, 2023
Working in darkness, he adds light by overexposing, and inhibits it chemically, an idiosyncratic variant of the rigidly scientific developing system codified by Ansel Adams.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 30, 2019
He closed his eyes and threw his arm over his face to keep the light from overexposing his thoughts.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
