overblown

¹ American  

[oh-ver-blohn] / ˈoʊ vərˈbloʊn /

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 American  

[oh-ver-blohn] / ˈoʊ vərˈbloʊn /

adjective

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

   an overblown rose.

---

overblown British  

/ ˌəʊvəˈbləʊn /

adjective

1. overdone or excessive

2. bombastic; turgid

   overblown prose

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

---

Etymology

Origin of overblown¹

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

Origin of overblown²

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

Example Sentences

I’ll admit it: I think our collective weeknight blender hatred is a bit overblown.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

He was steadfast that all he was doing was helping, that the objections were cosmetic, and overblown.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Worries about risks from AI-driven disruption are overblown, the note adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

However, some on Wall Street believe these concerns are overblown, and represent a contagion of fear.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Cell phone industry officials said that the fact traffic deaths hadn’t soared meant that distraction from electronic gadgets was being overblown as a threat.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• disproportionate
• inflated
• pretentious
• superfluous