overemphasize
gb/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz/ us/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz/
C1
Inglês
Aceções
0 aceções
Verbo
C1
action
1
emphasize something too strongly
To stress something too much.
Padrão de uso:
overemphasize [something]; overemphasize that [clause]
Erro comum:
Often confused with overstate (make a claim too big); overemphasize is about giving too much stress or importance. Also spelled overemphasise in British English.
Sinónimos
overstress (Very close; highlights excessive stress in speech or writing.)
|
exaggerate (Broader; can mean making something seem bigger or more extreme, not only emphasizing.)
|
overplay (More informal; often suggests strategic or dramatic emphasis.)
Antónimos
underemphasize (Give too little emphasis or importance.)
|
downplay (Intentionally make something seem less important.)
Colocações
overemphasize the importance of
|overemphasize the role of
|overemphasize differences
|overemphasize similarities
|overemphasize a point
|overemphasize a detail
|overemphasize the risks
|overemphasize the benefits
|overemphasize the need for
|overemphasize one aspect
Temas
communication
|writing
|speaking
|education
Exemplos
- The article overemphasizes the impact of one small study and ignores the broader evidence.
- Try not to overemphasize every mistake—focus on what you learned.
- He overemphasized that one comment, and the whole conversation became tense.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Don’t overemphasize that detail.
- She overemphasized the risks.
Verbo
C1
action
2
give something too much importance
To think something is more important than it really is.
Padrão de uso:
overemphasize [something] (in/when [activity])
Erro comum:
Not the same as overestimate (guess a number too high). Overemphasize is about importance or focus, not only numbers.
Sinónimos
overvalue (Focuses on valuing something too highly rather than simply stressing it.)
|
give too much weight to (Common in analysis; explicitly about weighting factors.)
Antónimos
balance (Consider factors in a more even, proportionate way.)
|
discount (Treat as less important in evaluation.)
Colocações
overemphasize short-term results
|overemphasize test scores
|overemphasize appearance
|overemphasize efficiency
|overemphasize profit
|overemphasize speed
|overemphasize security
|overemphasize one metric
|overemphasize performance
|overemphasize credentials
Temas
business
|decision_making
|work
|psychology
Exemplos
- The team overemphasized speed and ended up sacrificing reliability.
- We tend to overemphasize first impressions when we meet new people.
- The policy overemphasizes punishment instead of prevention.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Don’t overemphasize money in your decision.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
overemphasize
IPA
GB/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz/
US/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz/
Sílabas e acento
over - em - phas - ize (4 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Formas da palavra
Verb
- Base: overemphasize
- 3rd Person Singular: overemphasizes
- Present Participle: overemphasizing
- Past: overemphasized
Família de palavras
Forms
overemphasizes
verb
overemphasizing
verb
overemphasized
verb
Related words
emphatic
adjective B2
emphatically
adverb C1
Negative and opposite forms
underemphasize
verb
de-emphasize
verb
Expressões
overemphasize [something] at the expense of [something else]
1/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈæt ðə ɪkspˈɛns əv sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɛls/
fixed phrase
prioritize one thing too much
To focus too much on one thing and ignore another.
Exemplos
- The company overemphasized growth at the expense of customer support.
- Some diets overemphasize protein at the expense of fiber and vegetables.
- The plan overemphasizes technical skills at the expense of communication.
overemphasize the importance of [something]
1/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz ðə ɪmpˈɔɹtəns əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
stress importance too much
To say something is more important than it is.
Exemplos
- The presentation overemphasized the importance of one feature and ignored the bigger issues.
- Parents sometimes overemphasize the importance of grades.
- We shouldn’t overemphasize the importance of a single quarter’s results.
overemphasize the negative
1/ˈoʊvɚˈɛmfəsˌaɪz ðə nˈɛɡɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
focus too much on bad points
To talk or think too much about bad things.
Exemplos
- It’s easy to overemphasize the negative when you’re stressed.
- The review overemphasized the negative and barely mentioned what worked well.
- Don’t overemphasize the negative—there were some real improvements.