Overestimate vs. overstate: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Overestimate refers to making an estimate or judgment that is higher than the actual value, often involving quantitative measures like time, cost, or ability. Overstate means to express or describe something in exaggerated terms, typically in speech or writing, without necessarily involving numerical estimates.
What they have in common
Both overestimate and overstate involve exaggeration or presenting something as more significant than it actually is. They both imply an assessment or description that exceeds reality.
Examples
overestimate
- The team overestimated how much time the project would take.
- She overestimated her ability to run a marathon without training.
- Economists overestimated the growth rate for this quarter.
overstate
- He overstated his achievements on his resume.
- The article overstated the impact of the new policy.
- It’s easy to overstate the importance of one good performance.
Which one is more common?
Spotted a mistake in this article? Tell us