overstate

[ oh-ver-steyt ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈsteɪt /

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verb (used with object), o·ver·stat·ed, o·ver·stat·ing.

to state too strongly; exaggerate: to overstate one's position in a controversy.

Nearby words

overspill, overspin, overspread, overstaff, overstand, overstate, overstatement, overstay, overstayer, oversteer, overstep

Origin of overstate

First recorded in 1630–40; over- + state

SYNONYMS FOR overstate

overstress, embroider, magnify.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overstate ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formso·ver·state·ment, noun

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

Examples from the Web for overstate

It is difficult to overstate how destructive the practice of dismembering ancient and medieval books is.
Dismembering History: The Shady Online Trade in Ancient Texts|Candida Moss|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maher, and certainly conservative critics, overstate the extent to which liberals fail to make common cause with such folks.
Bill Maher 1, Ben Affleck 0|Michael Tomasky|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or, not to overstate the case, it would have been like getting too far from a bathroom for the males among us 50 years later.
P.J. O’Rourke on Grabbing the Keys to Happiness|P. J. O’Rourke|January 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's impossible to overstate the extent of the disaster this represents for the Middle East as a region.
The Sectarian Calamity|Hussein Ibish|May 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST

It is impossible to overstate just how isolated and incongruous Lady Thatcher was when she entered Parliament in 1959.
Margaret Thatcher: The Accidental Feminist|Amanda Foreman|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is impossible to overstate the misfortune of this temperament.
Etiquette|Emily Post
It is very hard to overstate either if the trees are properly cared for.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
For all that, he could not overstate the importance of getting possession of the Hanway report the moment it was prepared.
The President|Alfred Henry Lewis
As it was, I had an affection for him which it would not be easy for me to overstate.
In Direst Peril|David Christie Murray
It would be easy, however, to overstate Jesuss relation to work.
The Bible and Life|Edwin Holt Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for overstate

overstate

/ (ˌəʊvəˈsteɪt) /

verb

(tr) to state too strongly; exaggerate or overemphasize

Derived Formsoverstatement, 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

overstate

verb (used with object), o·ver·stat·ed, o·ver·stat·ing.

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Origin of overstate

Examples from the Web for overstate

British Dictionary definitions for overstate

overstate

verb