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Definitions

overact

[oh-ver-akt] / ˌoʊ vərˈækt /




VERB
overreach
Synonyms
STRONGEST
STRONG
WEAK


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“My reaction is not to overact but I didn’t like it,” Del Rio said.

From Washington Times Aug. 17, 2022

And if he never seems out of his depth, it may just be that he doesn’t overact; he doesn’t get too far out over his center of gravity.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2021

She remembers turning up at castings as recently as five years ago, recording self-tapes, running lines with her mother, who could be counted on to overact.

From The Guardian Oct. 13, 2019

Some of the performers in smaller roles are less artful than the cast’s standouts, and one or two overact.

From Washington Post Jan. 19, 2016

"You overact your part," said young Wharton, in constant apprehension of discovery; "your zeal is too intemperate."

From The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper

Soo overacts and injects emotion despite acknowledging, in a more recent video, that “most of the time” the witness did “not convey a lot of emotions.”

From Slate Jun. 10, 2025

We did a self tape for “The Beach Bum” with Matthew McConaughey, and my dad overacts, doing an impression of Matthew McConaughey.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 14, 2020

The film suggests Moose is on the autism spectrum, but Travolta overacts at every opportunity, magnifying every emotion and gesture, such as Moose's penchant to rock back and forth.

From Salon Aug. 28, 2019

De Niro never overacts like Pacino, but his downward slide has been no less excruciating to witness.

From The Guardian Sep. 23, 2015

He overacts his parts, and even Shakespeare will tell you how foolish a proceeding that is.

From My Strangest Case by Guy Boothby

He overacted, but these are old songs whose sentiments can use some help.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 24, 2021

Or perhaps you will come to feel that you’ve overacted and yet still want to involve the school to prevent further issues.

From Slate Aug. 7, 2019

Zach Grenier overacted a bit, but I got absorbed into the twisty, postmodern plot.

From New York Times Dec. 5, 2017

But the transformation is so sudden — and, frankly, badly overacted by Guthrie, who seems to have forgotten that he’s playing a single human being, not two — that the tragedy rings hollow.

From Washington Post May 19, 2016

For a second I thought she was going to run into my arms as if we were reunited lovers in some overacted Aturan tragedy.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Her overacting meets Ms. Gyllenhaal’s over-filmmaking like the Hindenburg crashing into the Titanic.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 5, 2026

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 Aug. 10, 2023

My sister told me I was overacting and should just move my office into my bedroom or closet.

From Slate Feb. 4, 2023

To call it overacting is an insult to acting.

From Washington Post Jan. 25, 2023

Even Leeds’ Thespians on Demand, the famed English acting troupe known far and wide for their loud voices and shameless overacting, could not hold a candle to this family.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood




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