overemphasis

noun

over·​em·​pha·​sis ˌō-vər-ˈem(p)-fə-səs 

plural overemphases ˌō-vər-ˈem(p)-fə-ˌsēz 

: an excessive amount or degree of emphasis

F. Scott Fitzgeralds's novels and Eugene O'Neill's plays exposed America's overemphasis on money and success.

—Mary Beth Norton et al.

… an overemphasis on design at the expense of function.

—Walt Mossberg

Examples of overemphasis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The same studies reveal that overemphasis on autonomy can also erode trust and weaken the collective strength that groups need to adapt in complex environments. —Scott Hutcheson, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

The first was a parental overemphasis on children’s safety. —Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 30 June 2025

Overemphasizing Sales Versus Genuine Engagement One of the biggest mistakes is overemphasis on sales instead of pure engagement. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

And as President Dwight Eisenhower famously observed, the doctrine also led to an overemphasis on militaristic solutions, thereby robbing the Treasury of dollars that might have been better spent on domestic priorities. —Tim Kaine, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overemphasis

• emphasis
• emphasise