Dictionary

overplay en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• ō'vər-plā'

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- English play English overplay From over- + play.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To overdo or overact one's effect or role.
   • Nevertheless, 3 Body Problem does well to pull us onward, as much through the relentless, but never overplayed, suffering and hardening of Ye Wenjie as she endures her effective imprisonment in the project grounds – and the stealing of her work by others – as by the present day mystery. 2024 March 21, Lucy Mangan, “3 Body Problem review – the creators of Game of Thrones have done it again”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • When Chris overacted his part again, the director warned that anyone overplaying would be barred from the next production.
2. (transitive) To play (a song or record) too frequently, often to the point of causing weariness and annoyance.
   • A lot of times I don't want to overplay songs that I really like, because I know that then I'll get sick of them and I don't want to get sick of them. 2008, Walter Douglas Crigler, iMusic/myMusic, page 75:
3. (ambitransitive, figuratively) To overestimate one's strength in a game or event, which ultimately may end in a defeat.
   • Some of San Francisco's life-long Democrats believe the trend is being overplayed, the work of a small number of influential figures with big megaphones. 2024 July 20, Tabby Kinder, George Hammond, Hannah Murphy, Alex Rogers, “Has Silicon Valley gone Maga?”, in FT Weekend (Big Read section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:
   • Jack won the last match of blackjack; Theo overplayed.
4. (transitive) To accidentally hit (one's golf ball) beyond "the green".
   • The first few shots went wonderfully, but Robin overplayed the last and lost.

Forms

Deriveds

overplay one's hand

Translations (14)

es sobreactuar (To overdo or overact one's effect or role) · nl dramatiseren (To present something more dramatically than necessary) · nl overacteren (To overdo or overact one's effect or role) · fr surjouer (To present something more dramatically than necessary) · nl overdrijven (To present something more dramatically than necessary) · nl uitslaan (To accidentally hit (one's golf ball) beyond the green) · fr surjouer (To overdo or overact one's effect or role) · es superusar (To overestimate one's strength in a game or event) · es sobreestimar (To overestimate one's strength in a game or event) · fr surjouer (To overestimate one's strength in a game or event) · nl zich overschatten (To overestimate one's strength in a game or event) · bg преигравам (To overdo or overact one's effect or role) · es hiperutilizar (To overestimate one's strength in a game or event) · nl overdrijven (To overdo or overact one's effect or role)