overdesign

verb

over·​de·​sign ˌō-vər-di-ˈzīn How to pronounce overdesign (audio)
overdesigned; overdesigning; overdesigns

transitive verb

: to design in a manner that is excessively complex or that exceeds usual standards (as of sturdiness or safety)

Examples of overdesign in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The present system is overdesigned for those surges, with earthen levees and concrete structures containing as much as 3 feet of extra storage space, or freeboard, to account for subsidence and sea level rise over their 50-year design life. Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, 22 May 2018 To me that ring is a mix of something that is really strong, and old, and feminine, and not overdesigned, which is all that Ruth embodies. Thomas Beller, Town & Country, 26 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overdesign was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near overdesign

Cite this Entry

“Overdesign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdesign. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!