Overstate: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when someone makes something seem more important or serious than it really is. Often involves numerical or factual information.

• He tends to overstate his accomplishments during job interviews.
• The article overstates the impact of the new policy.

Used when someone makes something seem larger, better, worse, or more important than it is. It can be used in both positive and negative ways.

• He tends to exaggerate his achievements.
• The fish he caught was big, but he exaggerated its size.

Used when someone makes numbers, costs, or values appear higher than they are. It's often related to monetary or measurable figures.

• The company inflated its earnings to attract investors.
• She tried to inflate the importance of her role in the project.

Used when someone adds extra details to make a story more interesting or exciting. Often involves creative or imaginative additions.

• She loves to embellish her tales with dramatic touches.
• He embellished the story to make it more entertaining.

Used when too much emphasis is given to a particular point, often leading to an imbalance in the overall perspective.

• He tends to overemphasize his points during discussions.
• The report overemphasizes the benefits while downplaying the risks.

When you want to give more importance or impact to something than it really deserves.

• He tends to overstate his role in the project
• It's important not to overstate the potential risks

In contexts where you increase the value, importance, or size of something beyond what is normal, often in financial or statistical terms.

• The company tried to inflate their profits to attract investors
• She tends to inflate her accomplishments on her resume

When describing something as better or worse than it really is, often in everyday conversations or descriptions.

• He exaggerated the difficulty of the exam
• The fish he caught wasn't as big as he exaggerated

When making a judgment or estimation that is higher than the actual value or ability, often in analytical or evaluative situations.

• He overestimated the time it would take to complete the project
• It's easy to overestimate your abilities when you're excited

When adding extra, often decorative, details to a story to make it more interesting, usually in a creative or storytelling context.

• She likes to embellish her travel stories with imaginary adventures
• His anecdotes were so embellished that it was hard to tell what was real