overstatement

/ˈəʊvəsteɪtmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈəʊvərsteɪtmənt/ (ame, ipa)

overstatement — noun

  • overstatementsingular
  • overstatementsplural

1. the practice of presenting something — a risk, an effect, an achievement — as bi

1.名詞C1
釋義

the practice of presenting something — a risk, an effect, an achievement — as bigger, stronger, or worse than the evidence justifies

例句

Padma warned the team that any overstatement of the test results would damage their credibility with reviewers.

overstatement of [noun] — the most common pattern

To call the small leak a disaster would be a clear overstatement.

frame: 'would be an overstatement' for hedging a claim

同義詞
  • exaggeration

    near-equivalent; far more common in everyday speech

  • hyperbole

    literary or rhetorical; often used for deliberate stylistic effect

  • embellishment

    adding attractive but false details, usually to make a story better

反義詞

文法句型

overstatement of [noun]

would be an overstatement

用法筆記

Frequently uncountable when naming the act itself. Subject is often the person doing it (a witness, a writer, a politician). Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to a single exaggerated statement rather than the practice in general.

常見錯誤

❌He made an overstatement of his abilities.
✅He made overstatements of his abilities.' OR 'There was overstatement in his claims.
💡when you mean the practice, drop the article; with 'a/an' it shifts to sense 2.
❌The overstatement happened during the meeting.
✅There was a lot of overstatement during the meeting.
💡the practice is uncountable; events don't 'happen'.

2. a particular spoken or written remark that exaggerates how big, good, or serious

2.名詞C1
釋義

a particular spoken or written remark that exaggerates how big, good, or serious something is — most often used to flag one specific claim as too strong

例句

It is an overstatement to say that the new policy ruined the company.

frame: 'It is an overstatement to say that...' — most common usage

Calling the meal the best in the city was an overstatement, but Dario meant it as a joke.

同義詞
  • exaggeration

    interchangeable in most contexts; less formal

  • hyperbole

    specifically a rhetorical or stylistic overstatement, often intentional

反義詞

文法句型

an overstatement to say (that) ...

be an overstatement

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — almost always introduced by 'an' or 'the'. Frequently appears in the fixed frame 'It is/would be an overstatement to say that ...'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is one identifiable remark; sense 1 is the practice across many remarks.

常見錯誤

❌That comment was overstatement.
✅That comment was an overstatement.
💡a single claim takes 'a/an' in this sense; bare noun signals sense 1.
❌It is an exaggeration to overstatement.
✅It is an overstatement to say that ...
💡'overstatement' is a noun, not a verb; pair it with the 'to say (that)' frame.