protest too much

verb

To insist so passionately about something that people suspect the opposite of what one is saying.

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Meanings

verbprotest too much (third-person singular simple present protests too much, present participle protesting too much, simple past and past participle protested too much)

present singular third person protests too much · participle present protesting too much · participle past protested too much · past protested too much

  1. idiomaticTo insist so passionately about something that people suspect the opposite of what one is saying.

Origin

Shortened from the lady doth protest too much.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 此地無銀三百兩 /此地无银三百两
  • 此地無銀三百兩 /此地无银三百两 (cǐdì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng)insist on something
Finnish vakuutella liikaa
  • vakuutella liikaainsist on something
Polish protestować przesadnie
  • protestować przesadnieinsist on something
Cite this entry
APA

protest too much. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protest%20too%20much

MLA

“protest too much.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protest%20too%20much. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “protest too much,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/protest%20too%20much.

Source: protest too much on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.