overact

[/ˌoʊvərˈækt/]
verb
exagerar na atuação
1. to act in an exaggerated or theatrical manner; to perform with excessive emotion or movement
The actor tended to overact in dramatic scenes, making his performance seem unrealistic.
O ator tinha tendência de exagerar na atuação em cenas dramáticas, tornando sua performance irreal.
2. to react with more emotion or intensity than a situation warrants
Don't overact to minor criticism; it's just constructive feedback.
Não exagere na reação a críticas menores; é apenas feedback construtivo.
3. to respond with disproportionate behavior or emotion
She overacted when she found out about the surprise party.
Ela exagerou na reação quando descobriu sobre a festa surpresa.
In Brazilian telenovelas and theater, overacting is sometimes a stylistic convention, whereas in American cinema it's generally considered a fault. The term is widely used in both entertainment criticism and everyday speech when someone is being overly dramatic about something.
NYC Slang
ham it up
Synonyms / Sinônimos
overstateexaggerateham it upchew the scenerytheatricalizeemote excessively
Antonyms / Antônimos
underactdownplayunderstateminimalize

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
exagerar na atuação
most common usage in theater and film contexts
Rio de Janeiro
exagerar
colloquial shortening in casual speech
São Paulo
forçar a barra
idiomatic expression meaning to overdo it
Portugal
exagerar na representação
European Portuguese prefers 'representação' over 'atuação'

Related Words

actingperformancetheatricalexaggerationdramaticsemotion

Related Idioms & Phrases

chew the scenery
steal the show
lay it on thick
go over the top
play it to the hilt
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