Overact

Pronunciation: /oʊvərˈækt/

Definitions of overact

verb to act in an exaggerated or overly dramatic manner

Example Sentences

A1 She overacts when she's nervous.

A2 The actor tends to overact in emotional scenes.

B1 It's important for actors not to overact and stay true to the character.

B2 Some critics feel that the lead actress overacts in this movie.

C1 The director had to work with the actor to ensure he didn't overact in the intense scenes.

C2 Despite his talent, the actor has a tendency to overact in his performances.

Examples of overact in a Sentence

formal The actor was criticized for his tendency to overact in dramatic scenes.

informal She always overacts when telling a story, making it more entertaining.

slang Don't overact when you see your crush, just be yourself.

figurative His exaggerated gestures made it seem like he was overacting in real life.

Grammatical Forms of overact

• past tense: overacted
• plural: overact
• comparative: more overacted
• superlative: most overacted
• present tense: overact
• future tense: will overact
• perfect tense: have overacted
• continuous tense: is overacting
• singular: overacts
• positive degree: overact
• infinitive: to overact
• gerund: overacting
• participle: overacted

Origin and Evolution of overact

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'overact' originated from the combination of the prefix 'over-' meaning excessively or beyond, and the verb 'act' meaning to perform or portray a character.

Evolution of the word: Initially used in the context of theatrical performances to describe actors who exaggerated their gestures or emotions, 'overact' has evolved to also be used in everyday language to describe someone who is being overly dramatic or exaggerating a situation.