overreact

verb

over·​re·​act ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt How to pronounce overreact (audio)
overreacted; overreacting

intransitive verb

: to react to something too strongly : to respond to something with too strong an emotion or with unnecessary or excessive action
I was furious and yelled at him. He told me I was overreacting and to "chillax."Ben Stein
The world isn't coming to an end. You shouldn't overreact to the negative news.Adam Bryant
Some of his animals had become apprehensive and twitchy, overreacting to sound or touch …Mark Caldwell
But the military police overreacted, using tear gas, rubber bullets and excessive force in front of news cameras that spread the images countrywide.Grant Wahl
… the poisonous surfeit of hormones produced by the overreacting immune system.Shannon Brownlee
Sometimes companies in a little bit of trouble are the best investments because the market has overreacted.Orson C. Clay
overreaction noun
plural overreactions
… he had said almost angrily that he couldn't tell her anything without eliciting a huge overreaction. Ann Beattie
This response is an overreaction by your immune system to an otherwise harmless substance, such as pollen or pet dander. Medical Clinic Health Letter

Examples of overreact in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Seasonal allergies are a result of your body's immune system overreacting to an environmental trigger (e.g., pollen).6 Inflammation from allergies could impact your hair growth cycle. William Truswell, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024 In that case, your body might overreact and pump out lots of (and sometimes too much) protective melanin. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 18 Oct. 2024 There’s an argument for not overreacting to consumer shifts, but not one for ignorance. Shayan Hamidi, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 One way to tell if the public is overreacting negatively on a stock is to see if higher-ups at the company are buying – a move that must be publicly disclosed and is available on free sites such as Nasdaq and Yahoo Finance. Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for overreact 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overreact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overreact was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near overreact

Cite this Entry

“Overreact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overreact. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

overreact

intransitive verb
over·​re·​act ˌō-və(r)-rē-ˈakt How to pronounce overreact (audio)
: to react excessively or too strongly
the body's immune system overreacts to the endotoxinTina Adler
overreaction noun

More from Merriam-Webster on overreact

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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