overact en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌəʊvəɹˈækt/
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- Latin agō Latin ācta Old French actbor. Middle English acte English act English overact From over- + act.
Meanings
-
(intransitive) To act in an exaggerated manner.
He overacted his part.
If governments overact and become oppressive, the terrorists will have won, for their theory is that repression will eventually lead to revolution.
1989, Susheela Bhan, Terrorism: an Annotated Bibliography, page 116: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.
2016, Leslie H. Abramson, Hitchcock & the Anxiety of Authorship:
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(obsolete, transitive) To act upon, or influence, unduly.
The χαμολνία, Humicubation, lying upon ground, &c. which things have been overacted, and still are in the Greek and Roman Churches.
1695, John Whitefoot, A Discourse upon I. Peter IV. VIII., Cambridge: John Hayes, page 16:The hope of inheritance overacts them.
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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| overacting | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| overacted | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| overacted | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| overacts | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
melodramatize · tear a cat · ham it up · chew the scenery · ham
Translations (15)
id lajak tingkah (act in an exaggerated manner) · hu eltúloz (act in an exaggerated manner) · ru переигрывать (act in an exaggerated manner) · bg преигравам (act in an exaggerated manner) · it gigioneggiare (act in an exaggerated manner) · id laku lajak (act in an exaggerated manner) · pt exagerar (act in an exaggerated manner) · de übertrieben spielen (act in an exaggerated manner) · nl overacteren (act in an exaggerated manner) · fi ylinäytellä (act in an exaggerated manner) · pl odegrać przesadnie (act in an exaggerated manner) · de übertreiben (act in an exaggerated manner) · es sobreactuar (act in an exaggerated manner) · pl odgrywać przesadnie (act in an exaggerated manner) · hu túljátszik (act in an exaggerated manner)