Overhyped

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Indicating that something has been given undue admiration that far exceeds its legitimate worth
2. Describing the situation where excessive excitement is placed on an idea, product, or event that lacks substantial merit
3. Having received more praise or attention than it genuinely deserves

Etymology: Hype began as a clipping of "hyperbole", the Greek word for "excess" that literally meant "a throwing beyond", from "huper" (over) and "ballein" (to throw). Somewhere along the way the classical rhetorical term lost its tail and came to mean loud, exaggerated promotion, and "hype" is the clipped form that English speakers settled on. Overhype is simply the prefix "over-", meaning "too much", attached to that clipped word. So the verb describes promoting something beyond what it deserves, and "overhyped" applies that to a thing that has been promoted in this way. The two parts are English, and the chain runs from an ancient Greek idea of throwing past a limit to a modern complaint about inflated marketing.

Synonyms: overrated, exaggerated

Antonyms: understated, underrated