Definition of overdo

overdoverb

làm quá sức

/ˌəʊvəˈduː//ˌəʊvərˈduː/

The word "overdo" has its roots in Old English, where it was written as "uevaeredan." This Old English word is a compound of two elements, "über" and "dōn," which mean "beyond" and "do" respectively. Put together, the term "überdōn" essentially signified "doing something excessively or beyond what is necessary." Over time, this Old English term evolved into Middle English, where it was spelled as "overdoune" or "overdeynen." By the 16th century, the word had further evolved into its current form, "overdo." Throughout its history, "overdo" has consistently been used to imply an excess or extravagance beyond what is necessary or appropriate, revealing the enduring significance of the Old English roots from which it originates.

Summary
type ngoại động từ overdid, overdone
meaninglàm quá trớn, làm quá
meaninglàm mất tác dụng vì quá cường điệu, cường điệu hoá hỏng
examplehe overdid his apology: anh ta quá cường điệu lời biện giải hoá ra hỏng
meaninglàm mệt phờ
type nội động từ
meaninglàm quá
namespace

to do something too much; to make something seem larger, better, worse or more important than it really is

làm điều gì đó quá nhiều; làm cho cái gì đó có vẻ lớn hơn, tốt hơn, tệ hơn hoặc quan trọng hơn thực tế

Example:
  • She really overdid the sympathy (= and so did not seem sincere).

    Cô ấy thực sự đã quá thông cảm (= và vì vậy có vẻ không chân thành).

to use too much of something

sử dụng quá nhiều thứ gì đó

Example:
  • Don't overdo the salt in the food.

    Đừng lạm dụng muối trong thức ăn.

  • Use illustrations where appropriate but don't overdo it.

    Sử dụng hình ảnh minh họa khi thích hợp nhưng đừng lạm dụng nó.

to cook something for too long

nấu cái gì đó quá lâu

Example:
  • The fish was overdone and very dry.

    Cá đã quá chín và rất khô.

Related words and phrases

Idioms

overdo it/things
to work, study, etc. too hard or for too long
  • He's been overdoing things recently.
  • I overdid it in the gym and hurt my back.