overfamiliar

adjective

over·​fa·​mil·​iar ˌō-vər-fə-ˈmil-yər How to pronounce overfamiliar (audio)
: exceedingly or excessively familiar: such as
a
: so frequently seen, heard, or experienced as to seem dull or unoriginal
a movie with an overfamiliar plot
… the overfamiliar video oeuvre of the world's most generic rock star …Steve Simels
b
: excessively friendly or informal
I know it may seem overfamiliar, but I can't think of Marvin L. Goldberger as anything but Murph, so that is how I will refer to him.Jeremy Bernstein
However in other cultures … such informality is seen as being overfamiliar and thus impolite …Heather Bowe and Kylie Martin
… he felt the whole time he was being judged and found wanting, for not knowing which knife and fork to use, for being overfamiliar or too distant with the waiters …Richard Coles
overfamiliarity
ˌō-vər-fə-ˌmi-lē-ˈ(y)er-ə-tē How to pronounce overfamiliar (audio)
-ˈ(y)a-rə-;
-ˌmil-ˈyer-
-ˌmil-ˈya-rə-
noun
Despite its by-now overfamiliarity, the piece achieves a new freshness in this entertaining musicalization … Frank Scheck
… the kind who can't tell the difference between the informality of true camaraderie and the subtle insult of overfamiliarity James Harkness

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overfamiliar was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near overfamiliar

Cite this Entry

“Overfamiliar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overfamiliar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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