catastrophize
[ kuh-tas-truh-fahyz ]
verb (used with or without object),ca·tas·tro·phized, ca·tas·tro·phiz·ing.
to view or talk about (an event or situation) as worse than it actually is, or assume it will have the worst possible outcome; overreact:Stop catastrophizing and get on with your life!She tends to catastrophize her symptoms.
Origin of catastrophize
1First recorded in 1960–65; catastroph(e) + -ize
Words Nearby catastrophize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use catastrophize in a sentence
Marty is somehow more of a neurotic, catastrophizing Woody Allen type than Ferrell was when he played a surrogate for the director in Allen’s own Melinda and Melinda.
Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd's The Shrink Next Door Is a Major Disappointment | Judy Berman | November 8, 2021 | TimeA prospective survivor lets herself catastrophize and then kicks herself into action.
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