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Synonyms

overstress

American  
[oh-ver-stres] / ˌoʊ vərˈstrɛs /

verb (used with object)

  1. overemphasize.

  2. to subject to excessive stress or strain.

  3. Mechanics. to stress (a metal or other body) to the point of deformation.


Etymology

Origin of overstress

First recorded in 1915–20; over- + stress

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.

Sit in the building that originated “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” and you feel a certain pressure to intellectualize your ideas, to overstress your originality.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2025

Security Council, “I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2024

“Now that we’re here, we’re not going to overstress about anything. We trust each other that we’ll be focused in the moment.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 27, 2018

We could say the same of 19th-century ballet — yet that may be to overstress the moral side of these works.

From New York Times • May 3, 2015

It is difficult to overstress the importance of data from stranded cetaceans.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David