overstate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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:
Analysts say statements such as Khezrian’s overstate the case, but they nevertheless acknowledge the axis has proved more resilient than expected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"It's impossible to overstate the scale of operational change the competition has gone through this season, but we're really happy with where we are and what has been delivered this year," he told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
"We also can't overstate the importance of the patient population and their involvement in developing therapies and their dedication to understanding their disease."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
The plaintiffs accused the board members of instead cherry-picking data to understate operating costs and overstate the financial performance of landlords.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yet it would be nearly impossible to overstate Lyell’s influence.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Of the 130 companies scored, roughly half showed meaningful AI activity by any measure — but even that overstates it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 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
But the paper overstates the risk of disruption, Benchmark’s Christopher Kuhn writes in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 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
"We think both things are true, in part, but should not be dramatically overstated at this point."
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
The magnetic pull of RØZ — whose stage name is pronounced like the second syllable in “arroz” — cannot be overstated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Although some people had raised concerns about having events close to, or on the Lagan, she believes the safety risk of the river might have been overstated.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Still, many economists think the weakness is overstated.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The significance of this cannot be overstated, for the failure to acknowledge the humanity and dignity of all persons has lurked at the root of every racial caste system.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
I haven’t finished reading the book yet, but I think the authors might be overstating their case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
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
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.
