---
title: overstate — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «overstate» in the school dictionary: To overstate something is to make it sound bigger, better or more important than it really is; to exaggerate. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# overstate

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** it, you, project, your, advert, toy · **What happens:** overstate, be, sound, exaggerate, not overstate, project · **To what, where:** something, important water, danger, news, score, us · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«overstate» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [overstate in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/overstate.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To overstate something is to make it sound bigger, better or more important than it really is; to exaggerate.

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:m1:1
# text = To overstate something is to make it sound bigger, better or more important than it really is; to exaggerate.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	overstate	overstate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	csubj	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	sound	sound	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
9	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	8	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	better	well	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	14	advmod	_	_
12	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	14	advmod	_	_
14	important	important	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	conj	_	_
15	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
17	really	really	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
18	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	21	punct	_	_
20	to	to	PART	TO	_	21	mark	_	_
21	exaggerate	exaggerate	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **overstate** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | make *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **sound** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | big *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **be** | present | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 5 | **exaggerate** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't overstate how good your project is.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x1:1
# text = Don't overstate how good your project is.
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	overstate	overstate	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
5	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	_
6	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	project	project	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **overstate** *speech: other* | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | your project |  |  |  |  | good *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **project** |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom project «act transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is hard to overstate how important water is.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x2:1
# text = It is hard to overstate how important water is.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	expl	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	overstate	overstate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	_
6	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
7	important	important	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **overstate** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  | important water |  |  |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The advert overstated what the toy could do.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x3:1
# text = The advert overstated what the toy could do.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	advert	advert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	overstated	overstate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	8	obj	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **overstate** *speech: other* | past | the advert |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | could | the toy |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The danger was overstated in the news.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x4:1
# text = The danger was overstated in the news.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	danger	danger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	overstated	overstate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **overstate** *speech: other* | past · passive |  | the danger |  | the news |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He overstated his score to impress us.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x5:1
# text = He overstated his score to impress us.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	overstated	overstate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	score	score	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	impress	impress	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **overstate** *speech: other* | past | He | his score |  |  |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent score=Theme |
| 2 | **impress** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | us |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus we=Experiencer |
| 3 | **score** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom score «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Writers should not overstate their evidence.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:overstate:x6:1
# text = Writers should not overstate their evidence.
1	Writers	writer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	overstate	overstate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	evidence	evidence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **overstate** *speech: other* | should | Writers | Writers's evidence |  |  |  |  | vn overstate-37.12 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent evidence=Theme |
| 2 | **evidence** |  | Writers *= writer* |  |  |  |  |  | nom evidence «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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