overrefine

[ oh-ver-ri-fahyn ]
See synonyms for: overrefined on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),o·ver·re·fined, o·ver·re·fin·ing.
  1. to refine excessively, as with oversubtle distinctions.

Origin of overrefine

1
First recorded in 1705–15; over- + refine

Words Nearby overrefine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for overrefine

overrefine

/ (ˌəʊvərɪˈfaɪn) /


verb
  1. to refine (something) to excess

  2. (intr) to make excessively fine distinctions

Derived forms of overrefine

  • overrefinement, noun

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