Overly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Exceedingly or excessively beyond what is deemed reasonable or acceptable
2. In a manner that is more than necessary or suitable for the given situation
3. To an extent that goes beyond what is appropriate or needed

Etymology: "Overly" is simply "over" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, so its story is really the story of "over" bending toward the sense of excess. The root "over" comes from Old English "ofer", which carried the basic idea of being above or across, and its move into the sense of "too much" happened gradually as people used it to describe going beyond a limit. The suffix "-ly" traces back through Old English "-līce" to a Germanic ancestor meaning "in the manner of" or "having the form of", which is why adding it to a word turns it into a description of how something is done. Put together, "overly" describes an action done past the point that is appropriate. The combination is a plain, transparent formation, so the word's meaning can be read directly from its parts: "over" supplies the excess, and "-ly" turns that excess into a manner.

Synonyms: excessively, unduly, too, extremely, inordinately

Antonyms: barely, scarcely, slightly, moderately, adequately