overly
Americanadverb
adverb
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.
Improving investor sentiment around Tesla stemming from the merger speculation might be overly optimistic, they say, maintaining their underperform rating and $280 price target.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
He’s overly involved on the show, so why not at the Emmys, too?
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Today’s musician biopics are almost always overly sanitized stories approved by the artist or their estate.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
The report also highlighted challenges including a scarcity or resources, excessive paperwork and officers feeling "demotivated" by negative and overly risk-averse leadership cultures.
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
At first impression, it appeared that Fischer, overly eager to gain the psychological momentum of winning the first game, had overextended himself.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
