Standard Lemma guide

overstate

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌəʊ.vəˈsteɪt/
  • US: /ˌoʊ.vɚˈsteɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 V ER0 S T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To state or claim too much.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overapproximate, overreckon, overestimate, overhold, overrate, overstate, overthink

Antonyms: underestimate, understate, misunderestimate, sell short, underapproximate, underguess, underjudge, underrate, underreckon

2

verb

Meaning 2

To exaggerate; to state or claim to a greater degree than reality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I think it is overstating matters to say that an hour online is spending all night on the computer.
  • He was suggested not to overstate at the interview.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exaggerate, hyperbolize, overdo, big up, cut it fat, overcharge, overemphasize, overstate, play up, stretch, three-sheet

Antonyms: deprecate, underdo, understate

3

verb

Meaning 3

to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • tended to romanticize and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exaggerate, overdraw, hyperbolize, hyperbolise, magnify, amplify

Antonyms: understate

Broader terms: misinform, mislead

Narrower terms: overemphasize, overemphasise, overstress, boast, tout, swash, shoot a line, brag, gas, blow, bluster, vaunt, gasconade, embroider, pad, lard, embellish, aggrandize, aggrandise, blow up, dramatize, dramatise

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *steh2- Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Indo-European *stéh2-tu-s ~ *sth2-téw-s Proto-Italic *status Latin statuslbor. Old French estatbor. Middle English stat English state English overstate From over- + state.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bashkir: арттырыу (arttırıw) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Bulgarian: преувеличавам (preuveličavam) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誇張 /夸张 (kuāzhāng) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誇大 /夸大 (kuādà) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Chinese Mandarin: 言過其實 /言过其实 (yánguò-qíshí) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Czech: přehánět — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Finnish: liioitella — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • French: exagérer — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • German: übertreiben — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Italian: sopravvalutare — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Italian: esagerare — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Italian: gonfiare — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Portuguese: exagerar — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuir am meud — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Serbo-Croatian: pretjerati — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Serbo-Croatian: pretjerivati — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Spanish: exagerar — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Spanish: hiperbolizar — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Spanish: sobreestimar — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Spanish: supervalorar — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Ukrainian: перебі́льшувати (perebílʹšuvaty) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much
  • Ukrainian: перебі́льшити (perebílʹšyty) — to exaggerate; to state or claim too much