overly high

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "overly high" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to describe something as greatly exceeding what is necessary or expected. For example, "The teacher's expectations for the students were overly high."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The assembled worthies shook their fists at international tax havens but made no coordinated effort to reduce their own overly high, growth-killing income tax rates.

Forbes

On Thursday, Lazutina tested positive for overly high hemoglobin levels.

The New York Times - Sports

And in some parts of the country, experts say rates are not overly high.

The New York Times

But in such negotiations, airlines often start with an overly high number.

The New York Times

They are certainly not suffering from overly high expectations but rather the opposite.

The New York Times

The grievance process allows property owners to try to correct overly high assessments.

The New York Times

"A big reason why we still have overly high unemployment is that we have a demand challenge," she added.

The New York Times

But Caray could not hush up, and spoke often at an overly high volume, as if he were too nervous to let the video images hold sway.

The New York Times - Sports

All transplant patients take immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection of their new hearts, and older patients may be getting overly high doses, he noted.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

The gaiety among the ensemble seems overly high-pitched and strained, with the exception of a steely performance by Rosaleen Linehan as an overbearing matriarch.

The Guardian

In the literature, multicasting for irregular topologies is supported through either multiple unicasting or broadcasting, which, unfortunately, results in overly high power consumption and/or long network latency.

Microprocessors and Microsystems

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "overly high", ensure the context clearly indicates what standard or expectation is being exceeded. For instance, "The company set overly high sales targets, leading to employee burnout."

Common error

Avoid using "overly high" when a more neutral term like "very high" or "extremely high" suffices. "Overly high" implies a negative judgment about the excessive nature of something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "overly high" functions as a modifier, specifically an adjective phrase, that describes a noun. It indicates that the noun it modifies is at a level or degree that is excessive or beyond what is considered appropriate or desirable. As Ludwig AI suggests, the phrase implies that something greatly exceeds expectations.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

31%

News & Media

29%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "overly high" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to describe something exceeding acceptable limits. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it's important to use it when you want to express that something is not just high, but excessively so, often implying a negative judgment. This phrase appears frequently in diverse contexts, including science, news, and business, but it's important to ensure its use is appropriate to convey the intended negative implication. When in doubt, consider alternatives like "excessively high" or "disproportionately high" for nuanced meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

disproportionately high

Indicates an imbalance or lack of proportion in the level or degree of something.

excessively high

Similar to "overly high" but emphasizes the exceeding of a normal or acceptable limit.

inordinately high

Suggests that something is higher than what is considered reasonable or moderate.

unduly high

Implies that something is higher than necessary or appropriate.

unacceptably high

Highlights that the level of something is so high that it is not tolerable or permissible.

unreasonably high

Indicates a lack of logical justification for the elevated level of something.

prohibitively high

The height is so high it deters people from use.

extremely high

A more general term indicating a very high level, without necessarily implying it is excessive.

needlessly high

Suggests something is higher than what is necessary.

unnecessarily high

Highlights that the height of something is avoidable.

FAQs

How can I use "overly high" in a sentence?

You can use "overly high" to describe something that exceeds a reasonable or acceptable limit. For example, "The interest rates were "unacceptably high"", or "The demands on the project team were "unrealistically high"".

What is a synonym for "overly high"?

Alternatives to "overly high" include "excessively high", "disproportionately high", or "unduly high", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it redundant to say "too overly high"?

Yes, saying "too overly high" is redundant. The word "overly" already implies something is "too" high, so using "too" in addition is unnecessary.

What's the difference between "overly high" and "very high"?

"Very high" simply indicates a high degree or level, while "overly high" suggests that the level is excessive and potentially problematic. The term "overly high" carries a negative connotation.