overrefined

adjective

Definition of overrefinednext
1
as in precious

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in exaggerated

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overrefined Jenkins’s overrefined sense of black history — a pageant of fabulous nightmares — is the real extravagance in The Underground Railroad. — Armond White, National Review, 12 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrefined
  1. precious
  2. exaggerated
  3. failing
  4. cute
  5. dying
  6. theatrical
  7. degenerate
  8. conventional
Adjective
  • For studio apartment dwellers or homes where square footage is precious, this miniature cart is slim enough to slip into discreet spaces until happy hour rolls around.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2026
  • In Spain, the 12 August band of totality cut across the north of the country; the center line of the shadow passed within 11 kilometers of Pico Trigaza, promising Druckmüller and his colleagues a precious 107 seconds of totality.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of precious
Adjective
  • The person reading the issue lowered it to reveal a face tense with anger, devilishly exaggerated by his thin black beard and mustache.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • These Trump-supporting immigration restrictionists argue that reports of abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are exaggerated and the need for mass deportations is urgent.
    — Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of exaggerated
Adjective
  • The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
    — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of failing
Adjective
  • At their on-screen meet cute, Apatow hands Bamford $500 cash just to pitch her on her own documentary.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The showstopper is a very cute idea where each baker has to make a dessert cart with at least three classic desserts on it.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of dying
Adjective
  • Kino Lorber is planning a 2027 theatrical release followed by a digital, educational, and home video release.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Kelava reveals that the production created two different promotional campaigns ahead of the film’s theatrical release in Croatia and Serbia.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of theatrical
Adjective
  • Anything that's going to make a candidate seem degenerate, seem corrupt, seem incapable.
    — Shannon Bond, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In Parkinson’s disease, neurons producing a chemical messenger called dopamine degenerate, and the dopamine itself cannot cross from the bloodstream into the brain.
    — Mallory Green, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • Most conventional optical systems are designed around coherent light, such as laser beams, whose waves maintain a stable relationship with one another.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
  • On Djerba Island, meanwhile, beaches and extensive resort infrastructure make combining an eclipse chase with a conventional Mediterranean vacation particularly easy — with a view of Mos Eisley thrown in for good measure.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of conventional

Browse Nearby Words

overreaching
overrefined
overridden
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrefined. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All