Overexhibit

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To display or present something excessively or too prominently; to show or expose beyond what is appropriate or necessary; to reveal more than intended or desired
2. To demonstrate or unveil in an exaggerated or disproportionate manner; to open up or display something to an extent that surpasses normal limits; to put on display beyond a balanced amount
3. To make excessively visible or conspicuous in presentation; to unveil or expose something in an overly prominent way; to present or manifest more extensively than proper or usual

Etymology: "Overexhibit" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-" (from Old English, meaning "too much" or "excessively") attached to "exhibit." The more interesting history is in "exhibit" itself. It comes from Latin "exhibere," a combination of "ex-" (out) and "habere" (to hold), so its core sense was to hold something out or present it. That sense survives in the legal use, where an "exhibit" is a document or object formally presented as evidence, and this legal meaning appears in English earlier than the familiar idea of putting things on public display. The display sense developed later, as presenting something to be seen came to mean showing it in a gallery or fair. So a verb built on "exhibit" carries both meanings: to present or display, with the "over-" added to mean doing so beyond what is appropriate.

Synonyms: overdisplay, overshow, overpresent, overexpose

Antonyms: underexhibit, underdisplay, conceal, hide