Overact

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Overact \O`ver*act"\, v. t.
     1. To act or perform to excess; to exaggerate in acting; as,
        he overacted his part.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To act upon, or influence, unduly. [Obs.]


        [1913 Webster]
  
              The hope of inheritance overacts them. --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Overact \O`ver*act"\, v. i.
     To act more than is necessary; to go to excess in action.
     --B. Jonson.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  overact
       v : exaggerate one's acting [syn: {ham it up}, {ham}, {overplay}]
           [ant: {underact}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  64 Moby Thesaurus words for "overact":
     act a part, affect, assume, carry too far, counterfeit, declaim,
     do a bit, dramatize, exaggerate, exhaust, fake, feign,
     go overboard, go to extremes, go too far, grimace, ham, ham it up,
     histrionize, know no bounds, make out like, mug, out-herod Herod,
     overcarry, overdevelop, overdo, overdramatize, overdrive,
     overelaborate, overemphasize, overexercise, overexert, overexpend,
     overindulge, overlabor, overplay, overreact, overspend, overstrain,
     overstress, overstudy, overtask, overtax, overtrain, overuse,
     overwork, pass all bounds, play, play a part, play a scene,
     playact, pretend, protest too much, put on, put on airs, rant,
     roar, sham, simulate, spout, throw away, tug the heartstrings,
     underact, wear