overrated

adjective

over·​rat·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈrā-təd 

: 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

Anchored by a phenomenal cast — including Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, and Martha Plimpton — and some entertaining Delco accents, Task proves that doing something great isn’t always overrated. —Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2025

So, the question is this: James Franklin, overrated or underappreciated? —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

Virality That's Misaligned With Brand Purpose Chasing virality for the sake of it is overrated. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Others believe that Hurts could fall under the overrated category, suggesting his success is simply a product of a strong supporting cast. —Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overrated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated