overreact

verb

over·​re·​act ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt 

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

ˌō-vər-rē-ˈak-shən 

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

If your cofounder tends to overreact, that’s certainly a problem. —Andy Dunn, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024

At his recent press conference after the Fed’s latest meeting, the Chairman eased market angst, saying that the Fed would not overreact to the hotter than anticipated January and February inflation data. —Robert Barone, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

At a news conference after the Fed’s two-day meeting, Powell said officials were careful not to overreact to January and February data. —Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024

At the same time, administration officials tried to put a measured public face on the crisis, wary of overreacting at a delicate moment — and a potential inflection point in the war. —Allie Raffa, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024

Elders have always overreacted to the supposedly mind-altering properties of certain technological advancements, from the printing press to the television set. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024

In some people, inhaling pollen causes their immune systems to overreact. —The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 2024

For students of government intelligence abuse, the true danger is in overreacting. —TIME, 29 Feb. 2024

Admittedly disappointed, Bill Self wasn’t about to overreact to his Kansas Jayhawks’ 79-75 loss to Iowa State on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

overreact

intransitive verb

over·​re·​act ˌō-və(r)-rē-ˈakt 

: to react excessively or too strongly

the body's immune system overreacts to the endotoxin

—Tina Adler

overreaction

-ˈak-shən 

noun