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Glite Dictionary
to overmilk

to overmilk

8.7
To add too much milk to a drink or to make a joke lose its effect by repeating it
  • verb
  • /ˌoʊvərˈmɪlk/
translation icon : excesivamente lechoso
  • If you overmilk your coffee, it will taste bland and watery.

Examples

  • Sometimes comedians overmilk a joke until it loses its charm.

  • She tried not to overmilk her tea, but poured too much by mistake.

  • Don't overmilk your coffee!

  • He tends to overmilk his tea.

  • If you overmilk your coffee, it will taste bland and watery.

  • She tried not to overmilk her tea, but poured too much by mistake.

  • Sometimes comedians overmilk a joke until it loses its charm.

Synonyms

to milk
vsto overmilk
  • Informal
40 7.8

Use a situation to get personal benefit, often unfairly

focuses on overdoing for effect rather than getting maximum personal gain
to overegg the pudding
vsto overmilk
  • UK
9.9

To add too many details and ruin something

overstretches jokes or situations so they lose their original humor

How Excessive

to overdo
58 3.6
to overmilk
8.7
to water down
  • Informal
14 4.0

Surface Forms

overmilk infinitive
overmilked past
overmilked past participle
overmilking present participle
overmilks third person singular

Morphology

overmilk = milk (transparent) = over + milk

Formed from the productive prefix 'over-' meaning 'excessively' plus the verb 'milk'; the literal sense is directly derivable and the figurative extension ('overmilk a joke') is a straightforward excessive-action metaphor.

Etymology

Overmilk is made from the parts over- meaning 'too much' and milk, the everyday drink and the idea in English 'to milk a joke' meaning to get extra laughs. So, to overmilk is to put too much milk in a drink or to stretch a joke until it becomes boring.