overexplain
Talk past understanding
To overexplain is to explain something more thoroughly than necessary, often to the point of condescension or tedium.
Someone who overexplains may not trust their audience to grasp simple concepts, or may be anxious about being misunderstood: He overexplained the joke until it wasn't funny anymore.
The habit can signal insecurity or a failure to read the room.
Failing to engage interest
- monotonousUnchangingly dull
- tiresomeCausing boredom or annoyance
- wearisomeCausing fatigue through monotony
- dullLacking edge or interest
droning · laborious · plodding · drawn-out · protracted · lengthy · interminable · patronizing
More words than necessary
- long-windedExcessively wordy, tediously so
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
- overkillUnnecessary additional effort
- belaborOverwork a point
overelaborate · exhaustive · exhausting · unnecessary · superfluous · redundant · repetitive · rambling
Make something understandable
- elucidateTo make understood
- expoundExplain at length
- illustrateExplain through depiction
- instructConvey knowledge or orders
educate · elaborate · detail · spell out · break down · walk through · hand-hold · simplify
boring
Failing to engage interest
- monotonousUnchangingly dull
- tiresomeCausing boredom or annoyance
- wearisomeCausing fatigue through monotony
dull · droning · laborious · plodding · drawn-out · protracted · lengthy · interminable · patronizing · condescending
verbose
More words than necessary
- long-windedExcessively wordy, tediously so
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
- overkillUnnecessary additional effort
belabor · overelaborate · exhaustive · exhausting · unnecessary · superfluous · redundant · repetitive · rambling · digressive
clarify
Make something understandable
- elucidateTo make understood
- expoundExplain at length
- illustrateExplain through depiction
instruct · educate · elaborate · detail · spell out · break down · walk through · hand-hold · simplify · dumb down
overexplainunderexplain
Fail to clarify sufficiently
summarize · abbreviate · condense · gloss over · understate