OVERLY Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

overly

adverb

ˈō-vər-lē

Definition of overly

as in too

beyond a normal or acceptable limit there's no need to be overly careful about the rough draft, since we'll polish it afterwards

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of overly But investors suspect that many of those same names have been overly punished by this point. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Despite having a minute left and the ball at the Buffalo 40, Allen turned overly aggressive. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 Elsewhere, Julia Fox erupted on the scene, sporting skinny brows, overly blushed cheeks, black liner and glossed lips, no less. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 Excessive regulations and overly stringent environmental laws make construction difficult, reducing supply and making homes too costly for most Californians. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overly

Adverb

Jaguar’s customers were also aging, and its competition—previously BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, and the like—were going electric, too.

— Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.

— Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of too

Adverb

OpenAI’s 2025 rollback of an excessively agreeable GPT-4o update illustrates a different type of evaluation challenge.

— Babajide Ojuola, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
This term means correcting people’s mistaken beliefs about what their peers normally do, like regularly drinking excessively.

— Pietro A. Sasso, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of excessively

Adverb

In its counterarguments, Google contended would be unduly harsh to break up a complex network that distributes ads that online publishers depend upon to help finance digital services used by millions of consumers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Throughout the appellate process, the AG’s office has contended that even accepting that there may have been an RJA violation, the error was harmless and did not unduly influence the jury’s original verdict.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of unduly

Adverb

Experts attribute the extremely warm ocean temperatures that fueled Rachel, which peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, in part to El Niño.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
All this makes the Home app very easy to use, but extremely underpowered.

— Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of extremely

Browse Nearby Words

overloud

overly

overlying

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“Overly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of overly

adverb

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