1. the practice of acting in an exaggerated or overly dramatic manner
Usage: theater; film

1. present participle of overact; acting in an exaggerated or overly dramatic way
Usage: theater; film

Examples

• The critic complained about the lead actor’s overacting in the dramatic scenes.
• Her overacting made the emotional moment seem fake and forced.
• The director told him to tone it down because he was overacting.
• Overacting can ruin an otherwise good performance.
• The comedy relied too heavily on overacting rather than clever writing.
• She was overacting so much that the audience started laughing at the wrong moments.
• Good actors know how to avoid overacting while still being expressive.