overemphasis

[ oh-ver-em-fuh-sis ]

noun

1. excessive or undue emphasis.

Other Words From

• o·ver·em·phat·ic [oh-ver-em-, fat, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of overemphasis¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; over- + emphasis

Example Sentences

Listing these catch-up details reveals the introductory episodes’ overemphasis on the situation instead of leaning into the comedy of it all.

From Salon

Perhaps because of our overemphasis on differences – especially political – we’ve lost a sense of interdependency between different communities.

From Salon

“I think that actually goes part and parcel with some of the overemphasis on these big highway widening projects.”

From Seattle Times

"Dirty fuel, the overemphasis on external markers of achievement," she says, "over time is going to clog up your kid's engine."

From Salon

The study, published last week in Nature Sustainability, found that an overemphasis on recycling has distracted us from better options for preventing waste.

From Salon

Related Words

• baloney
• excess
• fabrication
• falsehood
• fantasy
• hyperbole
• misjudgment
• misrepresentation
• untruth