over·re·act | \ ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt 
\
\overreacted; overreacting
Definition of overreact
: 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
Other Words from overreact
overreaction \ ˌō-vər-rē-ˈak-shən \ noun, plural overreactions
\ 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
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More Definitions for overreact
overreact
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of overreact
: to respond to something with an emotion that is too strong or an action that is unnecessary : to react to something too strongly
See the full definition for overreact in the English Language Learners Dictionary
overreact
verbover·re·act | \ ˌō-vər-rē-ˈakt \
overreacted; overreacting
Kids Definition of overreact
: to respond with an emotion that is too strong or an action that is extreme or unnecessary
After being criticized, he overreacted and quit the team.
overreact
intransitive verbover·re·act | \ ˌō-və(r)-rē-ˈakt \
\Medical Definition of overreact
: to react excessively or too strongly
the body's immune system overreacts to the endotoxin— Tina Adler
Other Words from overreact
overreaction \ -ˈak-shən \ noun
\ nounComments on overreact
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Time Traveler for overreact
The first known use of overreact was in 1919
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