overrated

adjective

over·​rat·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈrā-təd How to pronounce overrated (audio)
Synonyms of overratednext
: rated or valued too highly
an overrated book/movie/restaurant
The reign of James I is under scrutiny again. For too long this king has been the victim of literary pastiche, deployed as a foil to the fleeing glory of the overrated Elizabeth I.J. A. Guy
… Garrick had arranged for a member of the audience (a fellow actor), dressed as a Frenchified fop, to complain—as connoisseurs of French literary taste had complained for generations—that Shakespeare was vulgar, provincial, and overrated.Jonathan Bate

Examples of overrated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Full moons are overrated and, frankly, a pain. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Every few months another article declares the MBA degree overpriced, overrated, and out of step with what the modern economy needs. Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 15 June 2026 Their importance is incredibly overrated, their salaries bloated. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2026 And yet, these were also included in that 1999 Beckett Basketball Card Monthly list of overrated cards, despite also being named the magazine’s card of the year. Brooks Peck, New York Times, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overrated

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overrated was in 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Overrated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overrated. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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