1 overrate | Definition of overrate

overrate

verb
over·​rate | \ ˈō-vər-ˌrāt How to pronounce overrate (audio) \
overrated; overrating; overrates

Definition of overrate

transitive verb

: 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 … 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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for overrate

Synonyms

overestimate, overvalue

Antonyms

underestimate, underrate, undervalue

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Examples 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

The candidates next door Such endorsements can be overrated, however, Scala said. NBC News, "Running in New Hampshire, Joe Biden is a familiar face in unfamiliar territory," 23 Aug. 2019 The immediate impact of the NBA Draft continues to be overrated outside of a few game-changers at the top. J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "Pacers playing faster, better in half court is more important than big or small lineups," 24 June 2019 In a conversation for this series, Klosterman applied that logic to arts criticism, arguing that the professional opinions of famous critics tend to be overrated, and that their entire genre is somewhat futile. Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, "Chuck Klosterman Doesn’t Believe in ‘Good Taste’," 18 July 2019 Business synergies are often overrated, and mergers aren’t a panacea for slow growth and management ailments. The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Tax Reform’s Remedy for Outsourcing," 25 June 2019 But aside from all the post-game wisdom that Kyrie Irving leaves behind, the lesson of the past six months in Boston is that waiting on a perfect solution is overrated. Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "The Case for Kemba Walker on the Celtics," 26 June 2019 More significant than all of this, though, is the fact that surprise is overrated. J.b., The Economist, "Why spoilers are ruining storytelling," 7 June 2019 Symmetry, any designer will tell you, is overrated. Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "3 Top Interior Designers Share the Rules They Always Break," 30 May 2019 While eating a few leaves can cause mild stomach upset, the rumors of its fatal effects are overrated. Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "5 Holiday Plants That Are Way More Toxic Than Poinsettias to Cats and Dogs," 14 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of overrate

1599, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for overrate

overrate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of overrate

: to rate, value, or praise (someone or something) too highly

overrate

verb
over·​rate | \ ˌō-vər-ˈrāt How to pronounce overrate (audio) \
overrated; overrating

Kids Definition of overrate

: to value or praise too highly The restaurant is overrated.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overrate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overrate

Spanish Central: Translation of overrate

Nglish: Translation of overrate for Spanish Speakers