Overengineering: meaning, definitions and examples

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overengineering

[ˈəʊvərˌɛndʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Verb}

software development

To design a product with more features and complexity than necessary, often resulting in decreased performance, increased costs, and longer development time.

Synonyms

overcomplicate, overcomplicate, overdesign.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
overengineering	The term 'overengineering' is repeated and hence is unnecessary.
overcomplicate	This word is used in everyday language and professional settings to describe making something more complicated than needed. It usually suggests that simpler solutions were available but not chosen. Don't overcomplicate the instructions; keep them clear and simple. The manager tends to overcomplicate simple tasks, which confuses the team.
overdesign	This term is often used in creative industries like design, architecture, and technology. It implies that too much effort and detail have been put into the design, making it less functional or user-friendly. The website suffers from overdesign, making it hard to navigate. The architect's building concept was criticized for being overdesigned and expensive.

Word

Description / Examples

overengineering

The term 'overengineering' is repeated and hence is unnecessary.

overcomplicate

This word is used in everyday language and professional settings to describe making something more complicated than needed. It usually suggests that simpler solutions were available but not chosen.

Don't overcomplicate the instructions; keep them clear and simple.
The manager tends to overcomplicate simple tasks, which confuses the team.

overdesign

This term is often used in creative industries like design, architecture, and technology. It implies that too much effort and detail have been put into the design, making it less functional or user-friendly.

The website suffers from overdesign, making it hard to navigate.
The architect's building concept was criticized for being overdesigned and expensive.

Examples of usage

John spent months overengineering the new software, adding unnecessary features that no one requested.
The team realized they were overengineering the project when they started encountering performance issues.
Overengineering the system led to delays in the project timeline and budget overruns.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

engineering

The act of designing a product with more complexity or features than necessary, often leading to inefficiencies and unnecessary costs.

Synonyms

excessive design, overcomplication, overdesigning.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
overengineering	Used when a solution or product is made more complex than necessary, often with unnecessary features that do not add significant value. Common in discussions of technology and engineering. The new software update seems like an overengineering effort with features no one asked for. They criticized the bridge project for overengineering, adding to the budget without clear benefits.
excessive design	Refers to design that goes beyond what is necessary, especially in aesthetics or user interfaces. Often mentioned in the context of fashion, architecture, or product design. The website suffered from excessive design, making it hard to navigate. His suit was criticized for its excessive design, with too many embellishments.
overdesigning	Similar to overengineering, this term is specific to the design process and often refers to adding superfluous elements that don’t enhance functionality or user experience. The app feels overdesigned with too many animations and buttons. The product failed in the market due to overdesigning that alienated its user base.
overcomplication	Describes a situation where something is made unnecessarily complex, making it harder to understand or use. Often used in everyday contexts. The instructions for assembling the furniture were an overcomplication and confused everyone. She complained that his explanation was an overcomplication of the simple topic.

Examples of usage

The overengineering of the bridge resulted in higher construction costs.
Overengineering can be a common pitfall in the field of civil engineering.
The team identified the overengineering of the product early in the design phase.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

The term combines 'over-' meaning excessive and 'engineering', which refers to the application of scientific principles to design or build.
It first became popular in tech and project management circles during the late 20th century.
Often used in contexts where solutions are more elaborate than required.

Technology

In software development, overengineering can lead to bloated code that is hard to maintain.
Projects that exhibit overengineering may take longer to complete and may exceed budgets due to unnecessary features.
Tech startups emphasize simplicity to avoid overengineering and to deliver faster, functional products.

Psychology

People may overengineer solutions due to perfectionism, believing that a more complex design will yield better results.
Research suggests that fear of failure can drive individuals to overcomplicate their work as a way to cover all possible outcomes.
Cognitive overload can occur when too many details are included, leading to confusion rather than clarity.

Business

In product design, overengineering can lead to excessive costs that deter consumers.
Companies that focus on minimal viable products avoid overengineering by releasing simple versions and iterating based on user feedback.
There is a growing trend towards Agile methodologies to counteract overengineering in project management.

Culture

In art and design, overengineering may manifest as overly intricate works that lose original intent or function.
Popular culture references often depict characters who overengineer solutions, leading to humorous or disastrous results.
The phrase 'less is more' is frequently used to counteract the tendency to overengineer in creative fields.

Translations

Translations of the word "overengineering" in other languages:

🇵🇹 superengenharia

🇮🇳 अति अभियान्त्रिकी

🇩🇪 Übertechnik

🇮🇩 overengineering

🇺🇦 надмірне інженерування

🇵🇱 nadmierne inżynierowanie

🇯🇵 過剰工学 (かじょうこうがく)

🇫🇷 sur-ingénierie

🇪🇸 sobreingeniería

🇹🇷 aşırı mühendislik

🇰🇷 과잉 엔지니어링

🇸🇦 الهندسة المفرطة

🇨🇿 přeinženýrování

🇸🇰 preinžinierovanie

🇨🇳 过度工程 (guòdù gōngchéng)

🇸🇮 prekomerno inženirstvo

🇮🇸 ofverkfræðingur

🇰🇿 артық инженерия

🇬🇪 ზედმეტი ინჟინერია

🇦🇿 artıq mühəndislik

🇲🇽 sobreingeniería