Words / C1

ohv-uh-STAYT/ˌəʊvəˈsteɪt/

To overstate is to claim more than the evidence holds: overstate a finding, overstate the risk. Exaggerate is the everyday twin; understate is opposite; overestimate (already in the dictionary) is usually about size or number. Do not overstate n = 12 as a national result.

Meaning

To describe something as greater, better, or worse than it really is.

Examples

• “Do not overstate a pilot n of twelve as a national finding.”
• “Exaggerate is everyday. Overestimate is often quantitative. Boast is personal. A cautious claim names the sample. Hype in a press note is still an overstatement if the appendix disagrees.”

Good to know

Exaggerate; claim too much. Everyday: exaggerate. Cousin: overestimate (size/number). Opposite: understate. Pilots are not nations.

Near in meaning

claim

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