hyperactive

adjective

hy·​per·​ac·​tive ˌhī-pər-ˈak-tiv 

1

: affected with or exhibiting hyperactivity

broadly : more active than is usual or desirable

2

: intricately or elaborately designed or detailed

hyperactive noun

Synonyms

• agitated
• excited
• feverish
• frenzied
• heated
• hectic
• overactive
• overwrought

Examples of hyperactive in a Sentence

the skyrocketing price of oil resulted in a wildly fluctuating, hyperactive stock market

hyperactive children who are in dire need of a guardian with a firm hand

Recent Examples on the Web

But a few months earlier, an independent team of scientists had correctly predicted that Io might be a hyperactive volcanic world. —Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2023

Hot oceans, hyperactive hurricane seasons Sea-surface temperatures in the eastern Atlantic, where hurricanes are often born, are tracking well ahead of previous hyperactive hurricane seasons, Klotzbach said. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023

Studies have shown, for instance, that people with PTSD have hyperactive amygdalae, which are a region of the brain that helps process emotions. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2023

Wonder Flowers—a sort of hyperactive powerup—add a welcome sense of surprise to familiar tasks, whether Mario is transformed into a ball of goo, fighting against a shifting level itself, or answering trivia questions. —WIRED, 20 Oct. 2023

California's new law lists alternative terms — hyperactive delirium, agitated delirium, and exhaustive mania — that will be restricted along with excited delirium starting in January. —Markian Hawryluk, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2023

Fortunately, forward-thinking PR agencies are well-equipped with the networks and expertise to manage this hyperactive news cycle properly. —Jessica Starman, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2023

Experts say record-warm ocean temperatures have fueled a hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season that shows no signs of slowing. —Jessie Yeung, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023

Sea surface temperatures in the Eastern Atlantic, where hurricanes are often born, are tracking well ahead of previous hyperactive hurricane seasons, Klotzbach said. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 4 July 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hyperactive

adjective

hy·​per·​ac·​tive ˌhī-pər-ˈak-tiv 

: very active especially to an abnormal amount

hyperactivity

-ak-ˈtiv-ət-ē

noun

Medical Definition

hyperactive

1 of 2 adjective

hy·​per·​ac·​tive ˌhī-pə-ˈrak-tiv 

: affected with or exhibiting hyperactivity

Scientists suspect in certain genetically susceptible people, the immune cells remain hyperactive long after the infectious agent has been cleared from the body.

—Kathy Fackelmann, Science News

A growing number of parents suspect that the powerful stimulant Ritalin—long prescribed for its paradoxically tranquilizing effect on hyperactive children—has become a convenience for teachers seeking quiet classrooms …

—David Gates. Newsweek

broadly : more active than is usual or desirable

hyperactive

2 of 2 noun

: an individual who is hyperactive