overingenious

adjective

over·in·ge·nious ˌō-vər-in-ˈjēn-yəs

: excessively or unnecessarily ingenious or clever

an overingenious theory/plot/argument

It is impossible to say of Rashi, as we might of a secular critic writing about a poem or novel, that he is overingenious, interpreting things that need no interpretation.—

Adam Kirsch

He turns the man's conduct over in his mind, and tries to find excuses for him, and he is overingenious in doing so.—

Sabine Baring-Gould

overingenuity

ˌō-vər-ˌin-jə-ˈnü-ə-tē

-ˈnyü-

noun

… we are likely to understand him [Shakespeare] better if we assume that he knew what he was doing every minute, even at the risk of an occasional exercise in overingenuity on our part. —

Harry Levin