1
as in precious
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2
as in exaggerated
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Example Sentences
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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
Armond White, National Review, 12 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overrefined
Adjective
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The Willcox Southern hospitality extends to your precious animals at The Willcox.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The campaign nods to archival Loro Piana communication from the 1990s and to campaigns dedicated to the precious dark Merino Pecora Nera wool, to its signature White Sole shoe, and to the Loro Piana Record Bale Award.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The issue usually isn’t cortisol itself, but a rhythm that’s mistimed, exaggerated, or slow to settle.—
Rita Templeton,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
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An exaggerated period heel adds flair.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Score top wardrobe picks like an everyday V-neck tee ($9), memory foam fuzzy slippers ($6), and an effortlessly cute workout skirt ($8).—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Feb. 2026
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Yes, that innocent activity at which your grandparents might’ve met cute – square dancing – is having a moment here in the Bay Area.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Others, like the taller H2 model, focused on theatrical flourishes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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With around $40 million stateside, and another $40 million internationally, the film appears poised to break Hollywood's string of box office flops as the industry continues to fret over the increasingly dire economics of theatrical releases.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Today, the urgent challenge before the royal family and many other institutions protected by mystique is whether the often degenerate select few in charge can still persuade the mass of people to remain beguiled and accept authority.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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For reasons still not wholly understood, these ultradense objects—each about the mass of our star squeezed into a bizarre, city-sized ball of degenerate quantum matter—undergo starquakes in which the material on the surface shifts a bit like in an earthly tremor.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This is roughly equivalent to a large conventional nuclear reactor which is capable of delivering reliable, around-the-clock power 24 hours a day.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Even though her black wedding gown unintentionally started a forever style trend for brides wanting something a little less conventional, Parker doesn't necessarily stand by her choice.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
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In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Cite this Entry
“Overrefined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overrefined. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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