overtrimming
Too much pruning
Overtrimming is cutting away too much—whether hedges, hair, fat from meat, or budget line items.
The word implies excess in the act of reduction itself: The gardener's overtrimming left the shrubs looking bare.
In grooming contexts, overtrimming eyebrows or beards can take weeks to correct.
Cutting vegetation for health
- hedgesPlanted boundary lines
- topiaryShaped shrub sculpture
- bonsaiCultivated miniature potted tree
- shrubsLow woody plants
branches · shears · defoliation · stunting · malformation · dieback · regrowth · canopy
Foolish, costly mistake
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
- overcorrectionExcessive corrective action
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- botchSpoil through incompetence
slip · miscalculation · overzealous · excessive · irreversible · regret · undo · correction
Handheld cutting implements
- barberProfessional who trims locks
- stylistHair or fashion expert
- salonGrooming establishment or gathering
- shearsHeavy-duty cutting blades
buzzcut · fade · undercut · beard · mustache · sideburns · haircut · bangs
Cutting something shorter
bleed · overflow · cutoff · formatting · editing · redaction · deletion · compression
Severs or reduces
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- downsizingReducing workforce or scale
- layoffsMass job eliminations
- reductionMaking something smaller
shortfall · understaffing · efficiency · streamlining · cost-cutting · bare-bones · skeletal · underfunding
pruning
Cutting vegetation for health
shrubs · branches · shears · defoliation · stunting · malformation · dieback · regrowth · canopy · espalier
blunder
Foolish, costly mistake
- misjudgmentFaulty evaluation of something
- overcorrectionExcessive corrective action
- mistakeWrong action or decision
botch · slip · miscalculation · overzealous · excessive · irreversible · regret · undo · correction · salvage
clippers
Handheld cutting implements
- barberProfessional who trims locks
- stylistHair or fashion expert
- salonGrooming establishment or gathering
shears · buzzcut · fade · undercut · beard · mustache · sideburns · haircut · bangs · eyebrows
truncation
Cutting something shorter
borders · bleed · overflow · cutoff · formatting · editing · redaction · deletion · compression · loss
cuts
Severs or reduces
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- downsizingReducing workforce or scale
- layoffsMass job eliminations
reduction · shortfall · understaffing · efficiency · streamlining · cost-cutting · bare-bones · skeletal · underfunding · deficit