overstate
Americanverb (used with object)
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overstates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overstated,
past participle, past
-
overstating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overstatesimple
-
overstatessimple
-
have overstatedperfect
-
has overstatedperfect
-
am overstatingprogressive
-
are overstatingprogressive
-
is overstatingprogressive
-
have been overstatingperfect progressive
-
has been overstatingperfect progressive
Past
-
overstatedsimple
-
had overstatedperfect
-
was overstatingprogressive
-
were overstatingprogressive
-
had been overstatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overstate
Explanation
To overstate is to exaggerate or place too much importance on something. Your parents may overstate the dangers of driving on icy roads to scare you into being extra careful. If you want your brother to help you move some furniture, you might overstate how much your back hurts. And, if you're ready for lunch but your friend is dawdling, you'll be tempted to overstate how cranky you get when you're hungry. More seriously, politicians have been known to overstate the threat of terrorism or other dangers in order to gain support for a bill or a candidate.
Vocabulary lists containing overstate
"Ad Power," "Without Commercials," and "What's Wrong with Advertising"
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“Mandatory Vaccination is Not the Answer to Measles” by Bob Sears
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Bunnicula
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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.
See Examples For:
"It's hard to overstate how dangerous speeding towards RSI is," Wang posted in response to Coxon's resignation, referring to recursive self-improvement, which is a technique where software is designed to continuously teach itself.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
For scholars who study ancient writing, the potential importance is difficult to overstate.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
The tendency to overstate his influence lives on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
When news of the deal broke, U.S. premium futures fell from $1.17 per pound to 95 cents, about 22 cents of expected relief, though even that may overstate the benefit.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
It may be impossible to overstate the significance of race in defining the basic structure of American society.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The problem now is that mNAV overstates Strategy’s enterprise value—the ratio’s numerator—by using the face value of its debt and preferred stock rather than their market value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
This overstates the marginal value of transparency—not because it isn’t important, but because transparency is already widely practiced by EMs.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
That phrasing wildly overstates the case, perhaps conveying the impression that there is some voter fraud, even an uncomfortable amount, but just not enough to sway an election.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Nancy Vanden Houten, lead economist at Oxford Economics, said the report "overstates" the emerging strength of the labour market, noting that the bulk of the job gains were concentrated in just a few sectors.
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026
It also overstates the importance of rare geniuses, such as Watt and Edison.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Mr. Jentleson’s overarching thesis, however overstated at times, has merit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Struyven acknowledges some of the more alarmist calls on oil are probably overstated.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
I don’t know if that’s gotten better or maybe it was overstated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
But the prosecutors say this was "overstated", arguing her conditions would improve over time, especially as her notoriety faded.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Some naturalists think the population may have been overstated by as much as 20 percent, which means that the moose aren’t being so much culled as slaughtered.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Attorneys for plaintiffs in the case say Hochman is vastly overstating the level of fraud and relying on databases with faulty information about who was incarcerated in county custody as a juvenile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
At the same time, she cautioned against overstating the gender differences.
From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026
Carney said last week that some people were overstating Canada's reliance on the United States and that Washington does not get to dictate the terms of the upcoming trade negotiations.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
Molyneux has previously come under fire from fans and critics alike for overstating game features and getting carried away with ideas.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
This practice of overstating the case is called hyperbole.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
