overblown

¹

[ oh-ver-blohn ]

adjective

1. overdone or excessive:

   overblown praise.

2. of unusually large size or proportions:

   a majestic, overblown figure.

3. overinflated; turgid; bombastic; pretentious:

   overblown prose.

verb

1. past participle of overblow.

overblown

²

[ oh-ver-blohn ]

adjective

1. (of a flower) past the stage of full bloom; more than full-blown:

   an overblown rose.

overblown

/ ˌəʊvəˈbləʊn /

adjective

1. overdone or excessive
2. bombastic; turgid

   overblown prose

3. (of flowers, such as the rose) past the stage of full bloom

Word History and Origins

Origin of overblown¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; over- + blown ¹

Origin of overblown²

First recorded in 1610–20; over- + blown ²

Example Sentences

But whether the plate readers are placed in South L.A. or wealthier areas, police officials say concerns about mass tracking of motorists are overblown.

From Los Angeles Times

But Chamberlain was cast as Tchaikovsky in Ken Russell's overblown biopic, The Music Lovers, in which he starred opposite Glenda Jackson.

From BBC

She cast the media’s focus on the Signal chat as a grossly overblown distraction, saying, “We are not going to bend in the face of this insincere outrage.”

From Los Angeles Times

He believes our fears about the technology are overblown, and says he prefers to "embrace it".

From BBC

If the record-breaking cleanup of properties — led by the administration’s Environmental Protection Agency — is any indication, those fears were drastically overblown.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• disproportionate
• inflated
• pretentious
• superfluous