ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ott

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɑt// ott

adj. too much or more than is necessary. You use this when someone's behavior or a style is so extreme that it feels silly or annoying.

adj. excessive, exaggerated, or disproportionate to the situation. An abbreviation of 'over the top'; typically used predicatively after a linking verb.


SIMPLE

His reaction to the small mistake was a bit OTT.

CONTEXTUAL

The movie's special effects were totally OTT, making the action scenes feel more like a cartoon than a thriller.

COMPLEX

While some critics appreciated the director's bold vision, others felt the operatic performances were far too OTT for such a grounded, intimate script.

Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'feel'.

Pitfall

He is very over the top.He is a bit OTT.While 'over the top' is the full form, the abbreviation OTT is almost always preceded by 'a bit' or 'totally' rather than 'very' in natural speech.

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