overrated

adjective

over·​rat·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈrā-təd How to pronounce overrated (audio)
Synonyms of overratednext
: rated or valued too highly
an overrated book/movie/restaurant
The reign of James I is under scrutiny again. For too long this king has been the victim of literary pastiche, deployed as a foil to the fleeing glory of the overrated Elizabeth I.J. A. Guy
… Garrick had arranged for a member of the audience (a fellow actor), dressed as a Frenchified fop, to complain—as connoisseurs of French literary taste had complained for generations—that Shakespeare was vulgar, provincial, and overrated.Jonathan Bate

Examples of overrated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Their importance is incredibly overrated, their salaries bloated. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2026 And yet, these were also included in that 1999 Beckett Basketball Card Monthly list of overrated cards, despite also being named the magazine’s card of the year. Brooks Peck, New York Times, 2 June 2026 In a recent video interview, Windolf noted that there are plenty of Beatle fans who find Dylan abrasive and overrated, while there are Dylanologists who sneer at the pop songwriting of Lennon and McCartney. Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 1 June 2026 With the Cubs leading their rival Cardinals 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Crow-Armstrong stepped to the dish and was greeted with a barrage of overrated chants, particularly from the shirtless fans in right field in the viral 'tarps-off' section. Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for overrated

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overrated was in 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Overrated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overrated. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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