overstate

[oh-ver-steyt]

See more synonyms for overstate on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of overstate

First recorded in 1630–40; over- + state

Related formso·ver·state·ment, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for overstate on Thesaurus.com

overstress, embroider, magnify.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for overstatement

Contemporary Examples

To define this show of support by major corporations for LGBT equality as a seachange would be no overstatement.
Corporations Are No Longer Silent on LGBT Issues
December 24, 2014
Perhaps ascribing a distaste for the Oscar winner and soon-to-be Interstellar star is an overstatement.
Do We Still Hate Anne Hathaway?
Kevin Fallon
November 5, 2014
It is probably not much of an overstatement to say that Arthur Ochs Sulzberger saved The New York Times.
The Legacy of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Publisher and CEO of The New York Times
Howard Kurtz
September 29, 2012
To call the Canadian publisher Harlequin a monopoly in the romance genre might be an overstatement, but not by much.
How ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Is Shaking Up the Business of the Romance Genre
Chris Berube
June 6, 2012
A source close to Olbermann called the characterization of the incident "a gross overstatement."
Keith Olbermann’s Rage During Current TV Gig
Howard Kurtz
April 5, 2012

Historical Examples

He wished his answer to be not an overstatement, but the exact truth.
The Portygee
Joseph Crosby Lincoln
It has happened so many times that we know this is not an overstatement.
Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 10
Charles Herbert Sylvester
One of the characteristics of a legend is its overstatement of fact.
Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year
E.C. Hartwell
Yet this might perhaps be regarded as something of an overstatement.
The Analysis of Mind
Bertrand Russell
To assert the contrary is to weaken one's case by overstatement.
Vivisection
Albert Leffingwell

British Dictionary definitions for overstatement

overstate

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

Word Origin and History for overstatement

n.

1803, from over- + statement.

overstate

v.

1630s, "assume too much grandeur;" see over- + state (n.1). Meaning "state too strongly" is attested from 1798, from state (v.). Related: Overstated, overstating.

overstate

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for overstatement

Contemporary Examples

To define this show of support by major corporations for LGBT equality as a seachange would be no overstatement.

Perhaps ascribing a distaste for the Oscar winner and soon-to-be Interstellar star is an overstatement.

It is probably not much of an overstatement to say that Arthur Ochs Sulzberger saved The New York Times.

To call the Canadian publisher Harlequin a monopoly in the romance genre might be an overstatement, but not by much.

A source close to Olbermann called the characterization of the incident "a gross overstatement."

Historical Examples

He wished his answer to be not an overstatement, but the exact truth.

It has happened so many times that we know this is not an overstatement.

One of the characteristics of a legend is its overstatement of fact.

Yet this might perhaps be regarded as something of an overstatement.

To assert the contrary is to weaken one's case by overstatement.

overstate

Word Origin and History for overstatement

n.

overstate

v.

Origin of overstate