overrated

adjective

over·​rat·​ed ˌō-vər-ˈrā-təd How to pronounce overrated (audio)
: 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

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Others believe that Hurts could fall under the overrated category, suggesting his success is simply a product of a strong supporting cast. Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025 While the moon and Uranus harmonize, rationality is overrated. Usa Today, USA Today, 11 July 2025 Put me down as someone who at the start of this season felt like the league’s brand was wildly overrated. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025 The biggest reason the Padres’ offense has been so underachieving and overrated has been that most of the guys who absolutely have to hit have not been doing so. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025 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 Aug. 2025.

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