overly

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   To an excessive degree.

   Parents can be overly protective of their children.

2. 2
   adv

   To a high degree; very.

   I'm not overly enthusiastic about meeting him.

3. 3
   adv

   Superficially.

   1566, Thomas Blundeville, The Fower Chiefyst Offices Belongyng to Horsemanshippe, London, “The true Arte of Paring, and shooyng all maner of Houes together […] ,” Chapter 5, […] let him not touche the quarters nor the heeles at al, vnlesse it be to make the seat of the shoe playne, & let that be done so superficially or ouerly as maye be, so shall the houes remayne alwayes strong.

4. 4
   adv

   Carelessly, without due attention.

   […] you shall finde this, that all remissenesse, when a man doth a thing remissely, and ouerly, and perfunctorily, it argues alway a diuided intention, it is an argument that the whole minde is not set on it, but that the intention is distracted, and bestowed on other things:

5. 5
   adv

   With a sense of superiority, haughtily.

   The third [vice] is Arrogancie, and the fourth Pride, two vices neer a kinne, Cosen germans […] when men shall arrogate much unto themselves; looking overly and superciliously upon others.

6. 6
   adj

   Superficial; not thorough; careless, negligent, inattentive.

   The curteous Citizen bad me to his feast, With hollow words, and ouerly request: Come, will ye dine with me this Holy day? I yeelded, tho he hop’d I would say Nay:

7. 7
   adj

   Having a sense of superiority, haughty.

   Those that know no better, may rejoyce and exult in these worldly contentments; but those, who have had but a blink of the beauty of heaven, can look upon them no otherwise, than with an overly contemptuousnesse.

8. 8
   adj

   Excessive; too great.

   […] there appears a very chilling want of open-heartedness on the part of Owen, produced perhaps by the somewhat overly and certainly most ungracious resentments of Baxter.

Etymology

From over + -ly (adjectival suffix).