hyper

[hahy-per]Informal.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hyper ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

overexcited; overstimulated; keyed up.

seriously or obsessively concerned; fanatical; rabid: She's hyper about noise pollution.

hyperactive.

noun

a person who is hyper.

Origin of hyper

First recorded in 1970–75; probably independent use of hyper-

hyper

[hahy-per]

noun Informal.

a person who promotes or publicizes events, people, etc., especially one who uses flamboyant or questionable methods; promoter; publicist.

Origin of hyper

1910–15, Americanism, for an earlier sense; hype¹ + -er¹

hyper-

a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “over,” usually implying excess or exaggeration (hyperbole); on this model used, especially as opposed to hypo-, in the formation of compound words (hyperthyroid).

Compare super-.

Origin of hyper-

Greek, representing hypér over, above; cognate with Latin super (see super-); akin to over

Can be confusedhyper- hypo-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for hyper

fascinating, bracing, lively, exhilarating, refreshing, uplifting, enjoyable, vigorous, provocative, cheerful, festive, frisky, buoyant, peppy, spirited, nimble, bright, entertaining, animated, stimulating

Examples from the Web for hyper

Contemporary Examples of hyper

When the media show the hyper actions of these wannabe soldiers, public perception changes.
Ferguson Shows a Nation at War With Itself
Roland S. Martin
August 16, 2014
American Atheist president Dan Silverman has written that “we must recognize the (hyper) religious as mentally damaged.”
The Midichlorians Made Me Do It: Can Microbes Explain Religion?
Michael Schulson
August 10, 2014
“I think social media has really made us hyper attentive to this,” Guterl said.
Why It’s Time to End Blackface, Finally
Soraya Roberts
October 31, 2013
But Danny is so hyper that any learning is extremely difficult for him.
As Scientists Race to Diagnose Babies, Autistic Kids, Families Suffer On
Hannah Brown
September 14, 2012
She was hyper cool, we even chatted with her and her friends.
Photographer Chasing Pippa Speaks!
Tom Sykes
April 16, 2012

Historical Examples of hyper

I know what it's like to be three thousand hours in hyper, myself.
Space Viking
Henry Beam Piper
We could hyper, of course, but we were blind up there in Cth.
A Question of Courage
Jesse Franklin Bone
It led naturally to the employment of Hyper- in the inverse sense, viz.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music
David Binning Monro
Why is it then that, at this moment, I feel inclined to be hyper critical and disparaging?
Barren Honour: A Novel
George A. Lawrence
You give me a quarter on hyper and we'll go right through that planet!
Danger in Deep Space
Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for hyper

hyper

adjective

informal overactive; overexcited

Word Origin for hyper

C20: probably independent use of hyper-

hyper-

prefix

above, over, or in excesshypercritical

(in medicine) denoting an abnormal excesshyperacidity

indicating that a chemical compound contains a greater than usual amount of an elementhyperoxide

Word Origin for hyper-

from Greek huper over

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hyper

adj.

1942 as a colloquial shortening of hyperactive.

hyper-

word-forming element meaning "over, above, beyond, exceedingly, to excess," from Greek hyper (prep. and adv.) "over, beyond, overmuch, above measure," from PIE super- "over" (see super-).

hyper in Medicine

hyper-

pref.

Over; above; beyond:hyperflexion.

Excessive; excessively:hyperhydration.

hyper in Science

hyper-

A prefix that means excessive or excessively, especially in medical terms like hypertension and hyperthyroidism.