Overaugment

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To increase or improve something too much beyond what is necessary or beneficial
2. To apply an excessive augmentation or enhancement that surpasses an optimal level
3. To make overly large or enhanced, exceeding reasonable or effective limits

Etymology: Augment comes from Old French "augmenter," which came from Latin "augmentare," meaning to enlarge. That Latin verb grows from "augere," "to increase," the same root behind "author," originally one who causes something to grow, and "auction," from a Latin term for a process of raising bids. The prefix "over-" is the older English part, descending from Old English "ofer," meaning above or beyond. Attached to a verb, it marks the increase as going past what is appropriate or needed, so overaugment describes adding too much to something already being enlarged.

Synonyms: exaggerate, overenhance, overamplify, overextend, overinflate

Antonyms: understate, reduce, diminish, lessen, minimize