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Overreacted: meaning, definitions and examples

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overreacted

 

[ oʊvərriˈæktɪd ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

emotional response

To overreact means to respond to a situation with excessive emotion or behavior that is disproportionate to the actual circumstances. This can involve showing more anger, happiness, or sadness than the situation warrants, often leading to misunderstandings.

Synonyms

dramatic, exaggerate, overdo, overstate

Examples of usage

  • She overreacted to the criticism and left the room in tears.
  • He tends to overreact when his plans change unexpectedly.
  • Don't overreact to minor setbacks; they are part of life.
  • The team's coach overreacted to the loss, yelling at the players.
  • It's easy to overreact when you're stressed and tired.

Translations

Translations of the word "overreacted" in other languages:

🇵🇹 reagiu de forma exagerada

🇮🇳 अत्यधिक प्रतिक्रिया दी

🇩🇪 überreagiert

🇮🇩 bereaksi berlebihan

🇺🇦 перереагував

🇵🇱 przereagował

🇯🇵 過剰反応した

🇫🇷 a réagi de manière excessive

🇪🇸 sobrerreaccionó

🇹🇷 aşırı tepki verdi

🇰🇷 과민 반응했다

🇸🇦 تفاعل بشكل مفرط

🇨🇿 přehnaně reagoval

🇸🇰 prehnane reagoval

🇨🇳 过度反应

🇸🇮 prekomerno reagiral

🇮🇸 ofursvari

🇰🇿 артық реакция көрсетті

🇬🇪 გადაჭარბებულად რეაგირება მოახდინა

🇦🇿 həddindən artıq reaksiya verdi

🇲🇽 sobrerreaccionó

Etymology

The term 'overreact' is formed from the prefix 'over-', meaning excessively, combined with the verb 'react', which comes from Latin 'reactus', meaning 'to act again'. The word began to be used in English around the mid-20th century as a part of psychological and communication discussions. Initially, it referred to emotional or behavioral responses that were disproportionately high compared to a triggering event. As society became more aware of mental health and emotional well-being, the term gained traction, particularly in contexts discussing conflicts, stress management, and interpersonal relations. It highlights the importance of emotional regulation and the consequences of reactions that are not in line with reality.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,611, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.