overact

[oh-ver-akt]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to act in an exaggerated manner.

overact

/ ˌəʊvərˈækt /

verb

1. Also: overplay. to act or behave in an exaggerated manner, as in a theatrical production

Other Word Forms

• overaction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of overact¹

First recorded in 1605–15; over- + act

Example Sentences

“Fiddler” can sometimes occasion a flood of overacting.

From Los Angeles Times

“I wanted to direct cartoon characters that gave me performances full of truth, full of emotion, full of sincerity, where they are not overacting,” Berger says.

From Los Angeles Times

It's hard to capture just how blatantly studied and overacted and false Britt’s entire spiel was.

From Salon

Then came the guards yelling, recordings that Burn monitored for overacting.

From Los Angeles Times

They can reveal if the people caught in action are hiding from the camera or posing for it, and if they are speaking naturally or being loud and overacting.

From BBC

Related Words

• exaggerate 
• maximize 
• overdo 
• overemphasize 
• overstate 
• overuse