Overt means open, obvious, and not hidden. When something is overt, everyone can see it clearly. An overt lie is one told right to your face, not whispered behind your back. An overt threat is stated directly: “I'm going to tell the teacher what you did.”

The opposite of overt is covert, which means hidden or secret. A covert operation happens in the shadows, but an overt one happens in plain sight. When a country takes overt military action, it openly sends troops rather than working secretly. When someone shows overt favoritism, they don't even try to hide who their favorite is.

Think about the difference between overt and subtle behavior. If you're overtly proud of your science project, you might tell everyone about it and display it prominently. If you're subtly proud, you might just smile quietly when someone mentions it. Overt actions are bold and visible, impossible to miss. When someone makes an overt attempt to intimidate someone, they do it right out in the open where everyone can see, not through sneaky hints or hidden notes.