Wednesday, February 4, 2015

overly, overtly

Overly or overly means excessively; too--
He is often overly cautious; he won't try any thing new.
The manager can be overly exacting, but he pays us well.

Overtly or overtly means openly or publicly--
He was overtly hostile; there wasn't anything subtle about it.
He made the offer overtly; everyone knew about it.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He is overtly ambitious, and not overly sensitive to the opinions of his coworkers."

Note--"overlie" means to be over or upon, as covering or stratum--
A mat of leaves overlie the wildflower seedlings you are looking for.

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