it cannot be overstated enough

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it cannot be overstated enough" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct expression is typically "it cannot be overstated." Example: "The importance of education cannot be overstated; it shapes our future and opportunities."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Ben noted, "it cannot be overstated enough regarding the security of clients' files and their digital property".

Journal for Labour Market Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The importance of the Secretary General's recent visit of the Grand Ayatollah cannot be overstated enough for a few reasons.

Huffington Post

This fact cannot be overstated enough: janitorial cuts are driven solely by the university's desire to produce higher profit margins for the school's investors and trustees.

Huffington Post

To be sure, the importance of Turkish-Israeli relations cannot be overstated enough, as Turkey and Israel share not only critically important strategic relations but a deep affinity that goes back between the Jews and the Ottoman Empire.

Huffington Post

It cannot be overstated".

The New York Times

This sounds simple, but it cannot be overstated.

The New York Times - Sports

It cannot be overstated just how good Strahan was.

The New York Times - Sports

It is a simple point, yet the importance of it cannot be overstated.

The Guardian

It cannot be overstated exactly how big a coup this deal was for Davis.

The New York Times - Sports

"It cannot be overstated that people want something new, they don't want the same old, same old politicians.

The New York Times

It cannot be overstated how important churn is as a metric.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "it cannot be overstated" instead of "it cannot be overstated enough" for grammatical correctness and clarity. The shorter phrase already conveys strong emphasis.

Common error

The phrase "it cannot be overstated enough" is redundant because "overstated" already implies that something is being said with emphasis. Adding "enough" creates unnecessary repetition that weakens the statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended as an intensifier, aiming to emphasize the significance of a statement. However, Ludwig AI notes it's not standard English. Example from Ludwig's data does illustrate its attempted use in conveying importance regarding security.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "it cannot be overstated enough" aims to emphasize importance, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect and redundant. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment, suggesting that the simpler phrase "it cannot be overstated" is the preferred choice. Although examples exist across various sources, from news media to scientific journals, its rarity and questionable grammar suggest opting for clearer and more accepted alternatives like ""it cannot be emphasized enough"" or ""it is of utmost importance"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

It cannot be overstated

Omits "enough", resulting in a grammatically correct and commonly used expression.

It cannot be emphasized enough

Replaces "overstated" with "emphasized", retaining a similar meaning and grammatical correctness.

The importance cannot be stressed enough

Uses "stressed" instead of "overstated", maintaining a similar meaning.

It is of utmost importance

Uses a different phrasing to convey high significance.

It is critically important

Emphasizes the critical nature of something.

It is extremely important

Uses "extremely" to highlight the level of importance.

The importance is paramount

Highlights the paramount importance of something.

Its significance is immense

Focuses on the immense significance of something.

It's absolutely essential

Uses "absolutely essential" to highlight necessity.

It's hard to overemphasize

Uses a different phrasing with a similar implication of high importance.

FAQs

Is "it cannot be overstated enough" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "it cannot be overstated enough" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct and more common phrase is "it cannot be overstated".

What does "it cannot be overstated" mean?

The phrase "it cannot be overstated" means that something is so important or significant that it is difficult to express its importance strongly enough.

What can I say instead of "it cannot be overstated enough"?

Instead of "it cannot be overstated enough", you can use phrases like "it cannot be overstated", "it cannot be emphasized enough", or "it is of utmost importance".

Why is "it cannot be overstated enough" considered redundant?

The term "overstated" already implies that something is expressed with emphasis. Adding "enough" to "it cannot be overstated" is redundant because it repeats the idea of emphasis, making the phrase less effective.