overrate

verb

over·​rate ˈō-vər-ˌrāt How to pronounce overrate (audio)
overrated; overrating; overrates

transitive verb

: to rate or value (someone or something) too highly
By grossly overrating the danger from Communist agents inside the United States, the scaremongering of the House Un-American Activities Committee boosted the impression that Communist monsters in general were a mythical breed.Norman Davies
… they have an undersized shooting guard … who so vastly overrates his abilities that he declined management's five-year, $50 million extension offer.Jack McCallum
see also overrated

Examples of overrate in a Sentence

The coach tends to overrate the players on his own team. I think the critics seriously overrated that movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Brooks joins a chorus of others who say that the meritocracy overrated. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 28 Dec. 2024 That being said, what might be overrated for one person might just be exactly what someone else needs to make their cooking routine smoother or add something new to their repertoire. Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024 Notre Dame and Texas might be great, or they might be overrated. Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 5 Dec. 2024 The market is overrating the competition for targets. Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for overrate 

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overrate was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near overrate

Cite this Entry

“Overrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overrate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

overrate

verb
over·​rate ˌō-və(r)-ˈrāt How to pronounce overrate (audio)
: to rate, value, or estimate too highly
a book that was overrated

More from Merriam-Webster on overrate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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