Synonyms for overstate
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Exaggerate — to exaggerate; to state or claim to a greater degree than reality
exaggerate, overemphasize, overemphasise UK, magnify, stretch, amplify, overdo, play up, overdraw, gin up informal, overcalculate, overcharge dated, hyperbolize dated, hyperbolise UK
2. Overthink — to state or claim too much
over-estimate, over-rate, over-approximate, overreckon, overhold, overthink rare
Definitions
- v. 1
To state or claim too much.
- v. 2
To exaggerate; to state or claim to a greater degree than reality.
He was suggested not to overstate at the interview.
Related words
- Word family
- overstatement
Forms
- Past participle
- overstated
e.g. overstated → exaggerated, overemphasized, magnified, stretched…
Example sentences
- exaggerate She seems to have a tendency to exaggerate things.
- amplify I just want to amplify my understanding of the world.
- magnify You can use a magnifying glass to magnify small text.
- overemphasize It is impossible to overemphasize its importance.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| overstate | rising | |
| exaggerate | steady | |
| amplify | rising | |
| magnify | rising | |
| overemphasize | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- overdo3
- 7 letters
- stretch1, amplify3, magnify3
- 8 letters
- overdraw3, overhold
- 9 letters
- overthink
- 10 letters
- exaggerate4, overcharge3, overreckon
- 11 letters
- hyperbolize, hyperbolise
- 13 letters
- overemphasize5, overemphasise, overcalculate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (overdo3 = 3 syllables).