overact

verb

over·act | \ˌō-vər-ˈakt

overacted; overacting; overacts

Definition of overact

intransitive verb

1 : to act more than is necessary

2 : to overact a part

transitive verb

: to exaggerate in acting

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Examples of overact in a Sentence

His tendency to overact made his performance less realistic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Almost everybody's overacting like a champ, though the most scenery is chewed by Jennifer Morrison and Brian F. Durkin as corrupt law enforcement. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: 'Superfly' gets a flashy hip-hop remake that's so bad it's almost good," 12 June 2018 Owen is the actor who gets the most permission to overact. — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "'Baskerville' At Long Wharf Plays As Both Comedy, Complex Mystery," 9 Mar. 2018 In the opening minutes of the production, the subjects are often nervous, overacting. — Ben Taub, The New Yorker, "Alex Majoli’s “SKENE”: The World as a Photojournalist’s Stage," 26 Feb. 2017

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