overplay

[ oh-ver-pley ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈpleɪ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overplay ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to exaggerate or overemphasize (one's role in a play, an emotion, an effect, etc.): The young actor overplayed Hamlet shamelessly. The director of the movie had overplayed the pathos.

to put too much stress on the value or importance of: A charitable biographer had overplayed the man's piety and benevolence.

Cards. to overestimate the strength of (the cards in one's hand) with consequent loss.

Golf. to hit (the ball) past the putting green.

Archaic. outplay.

verb (used without object)

to exaggerate one's part, an effect, etc.; overact: Without a firm director she invariably overplays.

Nearby words

overpass, overpay, overpeople, overpersuade, overpitch, overplay, overplus, overpopulate, overpopulated, overpopulation, overpotential

Origin of overplay

First recorded in 1640–50; over- + play

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for overplay

He is counting on his opponents to overplay their hand, and a forgiving public to let him do his job as governor.
Clinton and Christie: Let The Mud-Slinging Start|Eleanor Clift|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Republicans here have their work cut-out, but there is always the possibility that the Democrats will overplay their hand.
Stuffy Old Men: Region, Religion, Race and Class Define and Buffet GOP|Lloyd Green|March 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wells transformed old cheating and heart songs into soul music by resisting the overplay of emotion, writes singer Laura Cantrell.
Kitty Wells, The Girl Singer Who Became Country’s Queen|Laura Cantrell|July 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The main hope for the Have Nots is a Republican tendency to overplay their hand.
David's Book Club: The Age of Austerity|David Frum|February 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST

“Obama has to be careful not to overplay this as something he did personally,” says Feehery.
The GOP's Bin Laden Jitters|Howard Kurtz|May 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
"Some day, though, he'll overplay his game," Benito prophesied.
Port O' Gold|Louis John Stellman
Even with such a negligible quantity as a deserted husband, it is a mistake to overplay the part.
The Far Horizon|Lucas Malet
We scold it caressingly, as one reproves the overplay of a gracious child.
From the Oak to the Olive|Julia Ward Howe
She was not fool enough to overplay her hand, so her greeting was still disdainful, but when he tarried she did not send him away.
The Roof Tree|Charles Neville Buck

British Dictionary definitions for overplay

overplay

/ (ˌəʊvəˈpleɪ) /

verb

(tr) to exaggerate the importance of

another word for overact

overplay one's hand to overestimate the worth or strength of one's position

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

overplay

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of overplay

Examples from the Web for overplay

British Dictionary definitions for overplay

overplay

verb