English Reference
Word adjective

overrated

adj.
US /ˌoʊvɝˈɹeɪtɪd/ UK /ˌəʊvəɹˈeɪtɪd/ over·rat·ed
Definition
  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    considered to be better than it actually is.

    valued or praised too highly; receiving more credit for quality than is objectively deserved.

    Simple

    “In my opinion, that famous pizza place is totally overrated and overpriced.”

    In context

    “Critics argued that the award-winning film was significantly overrated, citing its predictable plot and lack of character development.”

    Usage

    Often used in the pattern 'highly overrated' or 'vastly overrated'.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a common way to express a contrarian opinion about popular trends, movies, or restaurants.

    Synonyms
    overvaluedhyped
    Antonyms
    underratedunderestimated
Etymology
Etymology 1

From over- + rated.

Etymology 2

From overrate + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated