overdramatize
UK[ˌəʊvəˈdræmətaɪz]US[ˌoʊvərˈdræmətaɪz]
v
to make something seem more dramatic or serious than it really is
v
to act or express something in an exaggeratedly dramatic way
Morpheme Breakdown
over
drama
tize
over
excessively
drama
drama
tize
verb suffix
Etymology
the word is a modern english formation built upon the noun 'drama', which entered english via latin from the greek 'drama' meaning 'action, deed, play'. the prefix 'over-', of old english origin, is attached to convey the sense of excess. the suffix '-ize', derived from greek '-izein' via latin '-izare', is a productive verb-forming suffix. thus, the literal construction 'to make excessively dramatic' directly and logically yields the modern meaning of exaggerating the dramatic quality of an event or reaction.
Analysis
Structure: over (excessively) + drama (drama) + tize (verb suffix)
over (old english, prefix meaning excessively); drama (latin from greek, meaning action, play); tize (greek via latin and french, verb-forming suffix meaning to make or become)
Examples
she tends to overdramatize minor setbacks, turning them into major crises.
the media often overdramatizes scientific studies to create more compelling headlines.
he was accused of overdramatizing his illness to gain sympathy.