Over the top means too much, going too far. People use it to judge behaviour, a reaction, an outfit or decorations that are clearly excessive. The idiom is informal and almost always disapproving; in British speech it is shortened to OTT. In an essay, excessive or exaggerated is better.
When would you say over the top?
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be + (a bit) over the top; an over-the-top + noun; go over the top + with + noun
- Buying her flowers every day is a bit over the top, don't you think?
- The wedding decorations were so over the top that the hall looked like a palace.
- His reaction to a small mistake in the report was completely over the top.
What changed
First versionGiving a forty-minute speech at a small office party was a bit over the edge.
RevisionGiving a forty-minute speech at a small office party was a bit over the top.
Over the edge may seem logical, since it also suggests going beyond a limit. But in English over the edge means something else: it is about a nervous breakdown, as in The stress pushed him over the edge, meaning the stress made him break down. To say “too much”, you need the idiom over the top. Only edge was replaced with top.
Before a noun, the idiom is written with hyphens: an over-the-top reaction, over-the-top decorations. After a verb, no hyphens are needed: The decorations were over the top. There is also a verb form, go over the top, meaning “overdo it”: Don't go over the top with the decorations.
Your turn
She only got a B in the test, but she cried for three days. Honestly, her reaction was a bit ___.
Show the answer
over the top — Three days of tears over a decent mark is clearly too much, so the answer is over the top. Over the moon means “extremely happy”, while this person is crying, not celebrating.
Think of a party, a present or someone's reaction that, in your opinion, went too far. Describe what exactly was too much and say what would have been more appropriate.
Hiring a live band for my niece's tenth birthday was a bit over the top; a small party with her friends would have been enough.
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