overblown

1 of 2

adjective (1)

over·​blown ˌō-vər-ˈblōn How to pronounce overblown (audio)
: 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The Fed’s fear of a 1970s style wage-price spiral is also way overblown. Robert Barone, Forbes, 6 May 2023 Elon Musk, the Music Man of EVs, has built a great company but also sold followers on an incredibly overblown vision. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2023 The network claims that number is a wildly overblown amount designed to grab attention in headlines. Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 16 Apr. 2023 But there were also those who came to wonder whether the entire phenomenon had been overblown. Lauren Hilgers, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023 Moreover, Prasad, the Cornell professor, said DeSantis’s proclamations of the current administration’s support for CBDCs are overblown. Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 22 Mar. 2023 The Fox host and his team then crafted a storyline falsely claiming the events of that day were peaceful and, essentially, overblown. James Pindell, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023 However, some notable critics think that such fears are overblown or misplaced. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 1 May 2023 Fortunately, the old-timers’ tales and warnings proved to be a bit overblown. Pete Robbins, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overblown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of overblown was circa 1625

Dictionary Entries Near overblown

Cite this Entry

“Overblown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overblown. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on overblown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!