overactive

[ oh-ver-ak-tiv ]

adjective

1. exceptionally or excessively active; too active.

overactive

/ ˌəʊvərˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. inordinately active
2. (of the thyroid or adrenal gland, nervous system, etc) functioning at too high a capacity

Other Words From

• over·ac·tivi·ty over·active·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of overactive¹

First recorded in 1640–50; over- + active

Example Sentences

This misinterpretation wasn’t just the product of one man’s overactive imagination.

From Popular-Science

The allergy-like symptoms are probably the result of a person’s immune system becoming “a little too overactive in its task to clear the infection,” she said.

From Washington Post

It’s known that an overactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 can do more harm than help.

From Science News

His reclusiveness and overactive mind made it difficult to maintain relationships.

From Science News

What the drug does not do, he notes, is block the body’s overactive immune response.

From Science News For Students

The hunt for Christian Grey took months, and was complicated by an overactive rumor mill.

From The Daily Beast

Either they say I am a liar, or, as one person put it, “I have an overactive imagination.”

From The Daily Beast

Quieting the overactive and undisciplined mind is a challenging task.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• excitable
• high-strung