Hypervalue

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. To assign a price or importance to something that is far greater than it deserves or is really worth
2. To regard someone or something as more valuable than is justified by its actual merit or usefulness
3. Placing an inflated worth on an object, idea or person beyond what a fair assessment would support

Etymology: "Hypervalue" is formed from the prefix "hyper-", meaning "over, above, beyond, excessive," attached to the familiar noun "value." The result is a word whose sense follows directly from its parts: to hypervalue something is to rate it above its true or reasonable worth, and a hypervalued item is one carrying an inflated price or esteem. The prefix does most of the work here. "Hyper-" comes from Greek "hyper," meaning "over" or "beyond," and English has absorbed it into many formations, from "hyperactive" to "hypersensitive," where it signals excess. "Hypervalue" follows the same pattern, taking an ordinary word for worth and pushing it past what is warranted.