overactive

[ oh-ver-ak-tiv ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈæk tɪv /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for overactive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

exceptionally or excessively active; too active.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of overactive

First recorded in 1640–50; over- + active

OTHER WORDS FROM overactive

o·ver·ac·tiv·i·ty, o·ver·ac·tive·ness, noun

Words nearby overactive

over, over a barrel, overabundance, overachieve, overact, overactive, over again, over against, overage, overaggressive, overall

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use overactive in a sentence

This misinterpretation wasn’t just the product of one man’s overactive imagination.
What archaeologists got wrong about female statues, goddesses, and fertility|Annalee Newitz|February 10, 2021|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.
Covid may cause rashes and swelling. That doesn’t mean you’re ‘allergic,’ experts say.|Allyson Chiu|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
It’s known that an overactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 can do more harm than help.
Defects in early immune responses underlie some severe COVID-19 cases|Erin Garcia de Jesus|September 25, 2020|Science News
His reclusiveness and overactive mind made it difficult to maintain relationships.
Ethan Hawke stars in ‘Tesla,’ a quirky biopic about the iconic inventor|Maria Temming|August 19, 2020|Science News

What the drug does not do, he notes, is block the body’s overactive immune response.
First drug is found to block the new coronavirus|Tina Hesman Saey|May 4, 2020|Science News For Students
The hunt for Christian Grey took months, and was complicated by an overactive rumor mill.
Every Juicy Thing We Know About the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Movie|Amy Zimmerman|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Either they say I am a liar, or, as one person put it, “I have an overactive imagination.”
The Wife Who Came in from the Cold|Sara Nelson|March 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Quieting the overactive and undisciplined mind is a challenging task.
When You Don't Know Where to Turn|Steven J. Bartlett

British Dictionary definitions for overactive

overactive

/ (ˌəʊvərˈæktɪv) /

adjective

inordinately active

(of the thyroid or adrenal gland, nervous system, etc) functioning at too high a capacity

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

overactive

Origin of overactive

OTHER WORDS FROM overactive

Words nearby overactive

Words related to overactive

How to use overactive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for overactive