overblown

1 of 2

adjective (1)

over·​blown ˌō-vər-ˈblōn 

: past the prime of bloom

overblown roses

overblown

2 of 2

adjective (2)

1

: excessively large in girth : portly

2

: inflated

overblown claims

overblown rhetoric

also : pretentious

Synonyms

Adjective (2)

• bloated
• exaggerated
• hyperbolized
• inflated
• outsize
• outsized
• overdrawn
• overweening

Examples of overblown in a Sentence

Adjective (2)

overblown predictions of financial calamity after the company had one bad quarter

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The West’s primary reason for hesitating — fear of nuclear escalation — was overblown, Mr. Zelensky said, because President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would refrain from using nuclear weapons out of a sense of self-preservation. —Andrew E. Kramer Daniel Berehulak, New York Times, 21 May 2024

And fears of depressed financial outcomes stemming from remote work are far overblown; underperformers existed long before the pandemic, and no change in work arrangements will necessarily create more of them. —Jane Thier, Fortune, 16 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

blow entry 3

Adjective (2)

blow entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1