overly
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
more than is necessary, helpful, or good.
to an excessive or disproportionate degree; used to modify adjectives to indicate a negative surplus.
Simple“I think you are being overly worried about the weather for the party.”
In context“The manager was overly critical of the new staff, which led to a significant drop in team morale over the following months.”
UsageUsually placed immediately before the adjective or adverb it modifies.
PitfallThe movie was overly long. The movie was too long.While 'overly' is correct, some writers consider it redundant and prefer 'too' or 'excessively' in formal contexts.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
used with 'not' to mean 'not very' or 'not particularly'.
used in negative constructions to mean 'to a high degree' or 'particularly'.
Simple“I'm not overly fond of spicy food, but I'll try a little bit.”
In context“The shareholders were not overly impressed by the CEO's explanation for the quarterly losses, despite his optimistic projections for the future.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the negative form 'not overly'.
Synonyms
“Overly glib or sarcastic messages can get you into trouble, even if they are funny, reckons Paul Fitzsimmons, head of sales and marketing at law firm Wilford Smith.”
“When training is poorly timed, overly complex or insufficiently supported, it can become an additional job demand.”