Word info

too clever by half

Adjective

Meaning

too clever by half

(idiomatic, of a person, plan, theory, etc.) Shrewd but flawed by overthinking or excessive complexity, with a resulting tendency to be unreliable or unsuccessful.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Examples

Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be too clever by half. The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters. John Major

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