over-the-top

Thân thiện

The birthday cake was decorated with over-the-top amounts of frosting and sprinkles.

Definition

Adjective: - Excessive, exaggerated, or extreme: Describing something that is much more than what is considered normal, reasonable, or appropriate. It implies a lack of restraint or moderation.

Usage

The adjective "over-the-top" is used to critique or describe actions, behavior, events, or styles that are perceived as too intense, dramatic, or extravagant. It often carries a slightly negative or humorous connotation, suggesting something is unnecessarily excessive.

Examples

• Her reaction to the small mistake was completely over-the-top.
• The decorations for the party were fun but a bit over-the-top.
• The film's special effects were so over-the-top that they became silly.

Advanced Usage

• Used predicatively: Commonly follows a verb like "be," "seem," or "find."
  • I found the melodrama in that scene to be utterly over-the-top.
• Used attributively: Can come before a noun.
  • It was an over-the-top display of wealth.

Variants and Related Words

• OTT: A common initialism for "over-the-top," used primarily in informal writing and speech.
  • His apology was totally OTT.

Synonyms

• Excessive
• Extravagant
• Immoderate
• Unrestrained
• Outrageous (in the sense of being remarkably exaggerated)

Idioms and Phrases

• To go over the top: This is a related idiom meaning to act in an excessively enthusiastic or extreme way. It originates from World War I trench warfare, meaning to go over the parapet of a trench to attack.
  • The marketing campaign really went over the top with its claims.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. far more than usual or expected
   • an extraordinary desire for approval
   • it was an over-the-top experience

Từ đồng nghĩa

• extraordinary
• sinful