overactive

[oh-ver-ak-tiv]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overactive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

exceptionally or excessively active; too active.

Origin of overactive

First recorded in 1640–50; over- + active

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

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

Related Words for overactive

excitable, high-strung, uncontrollable, wild, hyper, overzealous

Examples from the Web for overactive

Contemporary Examples of overactive

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
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

Historical Examples of overactive

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

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