overrefine

American  

[oh-ver-ri-fahyn] / ˌoʊ vər rɪˈfaɪn /

verb (used with object)

overrefined, overrefining

1. to refine excessively, as with oversubtle distinctions.

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overrefine British  

/ ˌəʊvərɪˈfaɪn /

verb

1. to refine (something) to excess

2. (intr) to make excessively fine distinctions

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Other Word Forms

• overrefinement noun

Etymology

Origin of overrefine

First recorded in 1705–15; over- + refine

Example Sentences

Haters could accuse the car of being overrefined, I suppose.

From The Wall Street Journal

But many people now use it to mean “effeminate” or “overrefined.”

From Literature

It is often most elaborate, artificial, overrefined—one might even say, affected.

From Project Gutenberg