Overbolstered

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Provided with too much support or reinforcement beyond necessity
2. Given an abundant or excessive amount of structural backing
3. Equipped with more strengthening elements than required for stability

Etymology: "Overbolstered" is "bolstered" with the prefix "over-" added, and it is formed in English rather than borrowed. "Bolster" itself comes from Old English "bolster," a word for a long cushion or pillow, which is still the sense of the noun today. The verb grew out of that meaning: to bolster something is to prop it up with padding, and by the 1500s the idea had extended to propping up people, arguments and causes. The prefix "over-" is an Old English element meaning "above" or "excessive," and it has been attached freely to verbs and adjectives for centuries, so "overbolstered" follows the usual pattern of "overstuffed" or "overpadded." The past participle form, ending in "-ed," is what lets it work as an adjective describing something that has received more support than needed. The verb form dates to the same family of uses, with the adjective following naturally from the participle.

Synonyms: overreinforced, excessively supported, too strongly bolstered, overstrengthened, exaggeratedly supported

Antonyms: underbolstered, weakly supported, insufficiently bolstered, underreinforced, understrengthened