hyperactive
Americanadjective
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unusually or abnormally active.
a company's hyperactive growth; the child's hyperactive imagination.
-
(of children) displaying exaggerated physical activity sometimes associated with neurologic or psychologic causes.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hyperactive
Explanation
Anything hyperactive is doing more than it should — a hyperactive child bounces off the walls, and a hyperactive gland secretes too much and makes you feel bad. It's good to be active, but add hyper and it’s not so good anymore. Hyper comes from a Greek word for “too much.” If someone is hyperactive, she might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People who suffer from it are hyperactive and can’t concentrate. You could say they’re hyper, which is short for hyperactive, but that’s not very polite. Hyperactive glands produce too many hormones and throw the body out of whack. Hyperactive things need to settle down.
Vocabulary lists containing hyperactive
Just Do It: Act
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Selections Vocabulary 1, Unit 3
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act (do)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some people trying them out are discovering these hyperactive helpers can sometimes overpromise, overpurchase—and overshare with co-workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Director Sam Raimi’s original 1981 “The Evil Dead,” filmed in the Tennessee woods by a bunch of hyperactive dreamers, has since morphed into a monolithic franchise that mainly serves to keep the lights on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
If the number of hurricanes forecast is higher than average these are referred to as active or hyperactive seasons - while other years bring fewer storms, and are known as less active seasons.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Finn’s hyperactive sense of smell and bottomless appetite provide lighthearted comic relief, while the descriptions of Chase running are some of the book’s loveliest passages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Then I put in the grid—a grid laid out by a hyperactive designer, with blocks going in all different directions.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
