overrate
verb
over·rate
ˈō-vər-ˌrāt 
overrated; overrating; overrates
: to rate or value (someone or something) too highly
By grossly overrating the danger from Communist agents inside the United States, the scaremongering of the House Un-American Activities Committee boosted the impression that Communist monsters in general were a mythical breed.—
Norman Davies
Norman Davies… they have an undersized shooting guard … who so vastly overrates his abilities that he declined management's five-year, $50 million extension offer.—Jack McCallum
see also overrated
Jack McCallumExamples of overrate in a Sentence
The coach tends to overrate the players on his own team.
I think the critics seriously overrated that movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fifty years of those same writers then getting wasted at the after party, and loudly telling everybody that Jaws was overrated.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Neil Dutta, head of economic research at the Renaissance Macro consultancy, said in a recent note that uncertainty over White House policies is overrated compared with other looming constraints on growth.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
As the Cavaliers failed to meet expectations in the regular season last year, there was some question as to whether Mobley’s potential had been overrated coming into and during his rookie year.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
On-air remarks by a commentator working for the host broadcaster about Djokovic being overrated and a has-been caused a stir during Week 1 of the Australian Open.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overrate
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025
Neil Dutta, head of economic research at the Renaissance Macro consultancy, said in a recent note that uncertainty over White House policies is overrated compared with other looming constraints on growth.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2025
As the Cavaliers failed to meet expectations in the regular season last year, there was some question as to whether Mobley’s potential had been overrated coming into and during his rookie year.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
On-air remarks by a commentator working for the host broadcaster about Djokovic being overrated and a has-been caused a stir during Week 1 of the Australian Open.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overrate
Cite this Entry
“Overrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overrate. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overrate
verb
over·rate
ˌō-və(r)-ˈrāt
: to rate, value, or estimate too highly
a book that was overrated
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