overthink

British

/ ˌəʊvəˈθɪŋk /

verb

to spend more time thinking about something than is necessary or productive

"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

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.

"We overthink it, and the idea of what we're supposed to look like has messed up our relationship with food."

From BBC • May 9, 2026

It holds heat, keeps its nerve, and moves easily from stovetop to oven to broiler and back again without asking you to switch vessels or overthink it.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

“I tend to overthink it when I know too much.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

"Sometimes you can overthink too much about, oh, we're playing against England, we're playing against West Indies."

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

“Try not to overthink it. This is for your eyes only. Just promise me you’ll try it.”

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023