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Synonyms

overly

American  
[oh-ver-lee] / ˈoʊ vər li /

adverb

  1. excessively; too.

    a voyage not overly dangerous.
    Synonyms:
    inordinately, immoderately
overly British  
/ ˈəʊvəlɪ /

adverb

  1. too; excessively

"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

Etymology

Origin of overly

before 1050; Middle English; Old English oferlīce. See over, -ly

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.

Or was she an overly forward social climber?

From Literature

“When are we going to eat?” exclaimed the fox in the overly dramatic fashion that seemed to be how she expressed everything.

From Literature

They also said investors could stop believing in guidance that is too conservative, just as they may disregard overly rosy projections.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wall Street isn’t overly concerned about a potential dearth of tech IPOs this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Our weapons have become overly complex, seeking to meet every requirement within a single munition, which leads to weapons that are effectively unproducible and irreplaceable.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.