overdo

[ oh-ver-doo ]
See synonyms for: overdooverdoingoverdone on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),o·ver·did, o·ver·done, o·ver·do·ing.
  1. to do to excess; overindulge in: to overdo dieting.

  2. to carry to excess or beyond the proper limit: He puts on so much charm that he overdoes it.

  1. to overact (a part); exaggerate.

  2. to overtax the strength of; fatigue; exhaust.

  3. to cook too much or too long; overcook: Don't overdo the hamburgers.

verb (used without object),o·ver·did, o·ver·done, o·ver·do·ing.
  1. to do too much; go to an extreme: Exercise is good but you mustn't overdo.

Origin of overdo

1
before 1000; Middle English overdon,Old English oferdōn.See over-, do1

Other words from overdo

  • o·ver·do·er, noun

Words that may be confused with overdo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use overdo in a sentence

  • Without overdoing it, he lobs frequent criticism toward President Obama's economic policies, winning favor with the right wing.

  • Greebel also warns of overdoing your protein intake, which can tax your kidneys—so be careful with protein powders and pills.

    6 Snacks to Eat for Your Workout | Divya Gugnani | August 15, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • I felt like Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy, the very epitome of someone overdoing it.

    Gal With a Suitcase | Jolie Hunt | April 3, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • (With a sudden disarming smile) I don't know whether an apology is overdoing the charm?

    First Plays | A. A. Milne
  • Sara Lee, who had already caught the British "a" and was rather overdoing it, had a wild impulse to make the same gesture.

    The Amazing Interlude | Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • He knocked again a little louder; still no notice; then, overdoing it in his fright, he gave a very loud tap indeed.

    Eric, or Little by Little | Frederic W. Farrar
  • There is, however, but little danger of overdoing the parallel construction where there is no antithesis.

    English: Composition and Literature | W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
  • Yet I should be overdoing this (purely anticipatory) prudence to pass over the episode of the sky-blue uniform entirely.

British Dictionary definitions for overdo

overdo

/ (ˌəʊvəˈduː) /


verb-does, -doing, -did or -done (tr)
  1. to take or carry too far; do to excess

  2. to exaggerate, overelaborate, or overplay

  1. to cook or bake too long

  2. overdo it or overdo things to overtax one's strength, capacity, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012