overact
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Etymology tree
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˌəʊvəɹˈækt/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Verb
[edit]overact (third-person singular simple present overacts, present participle overacting, simple past and past participle overacted)
- (intransitive, chiefly acting) To act in an exaggerated manner.
- He overacted his part.
- 1989, Susheela Bhan, Terrorism: an Annotated Bibliography, page 116:
- If governments overact and become oppressive, the terrorists will have won, for their theory is that repression will eventually lead to revolution.
- 2016, Leslie H. Abramson, Hitchcock & the Anxiety of Authorship:
- The scenework proves unsuccessful when Carmichael recalls not the source of her misandry but another episode of overacting, that of castratively biting off the moustache of an amorous man.
- (obsolete, transitive) To act upon, or influence, unduly.
- 1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC:
- The hope of inheritance overacts them.
- 1695, John Whitefoot, A Discourse upon I. Peter IV. VIII., Cambridge: John Hayes, page 16:
- The χαμολνία, Humicubation, lying upon ground, &c. which things have been overacted, and still are in the Greek and Roman Churches.
Synonyms
[edit]Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]act in an exaggerated manner
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Categories:
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eǵ- (drive)
- English terms prefixed with over-
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *upér
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- en:Acting
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English transitive verbs
