over·elab·o·rate
ˌō-vər-i-ˈla-b(ə-)rət 
: excessively elaborate
an overelaborate plot/plan
an overelaborate dinner presentation
… creating an overelaborate design at the expense of clarity and readability …—
David Baldwin
David Baldwin… overelaborate and pointless accounts of petty troubles …—Genevieve Stuttaford et al.
Genevieve Stuttaford et al.
over·elab·o·rate
ˌō-vər-i-ˈla-bə-ˌrāt
overelaborated; overelaborating
: to elaborate (something) too much : to do or provide (something) with too much detail, complexity, or ornateness
overelaborating [=belaboring] an obvious point
… his motivations are overelaborated through too many back stories …—Nathaniel Rich
Nathaniel Rich… wasted a host of presentable chances in the second half as they often overelaborated on their way to goal …—James Benge
James BengeShe also knows the art of simplifying … rather than creating an overelaborated mishmash of textures and hues.—Steve Whysall
Steve Whysall
overelaboration
noun
plural overelaborations
Overelaboration should be avoided in constructing graphs. The substance of the graph should be the centre of attraction, not the design graphic …
—J. A. John et al.
J. A. John et al.
Examples of overelaborate in a Sentence
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Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2021
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Adjective
The overelaborate surfaces seem to evoke globalization as a simple excess.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near overelaborate
Cite this Entry
“Overelaborate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overelaborate. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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