Dictionary

overreaction en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- English reaction English overreaction From over- + reaction.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A reaction that is excessive.
   • This whole fear over swine flu was unfounded; it was clearly an overreaction.
   • In most cases, this overreaction to terrorism poses a far greater threat to our security than the terrorists themselves. 2018, Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century:
   • She had every right to dump you, but cutting up all your clothes after she did so was an overreaction.
   • The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty. 2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 3:

Forms

Translations (11)

ja オーバーリアクション (reaction deemed excessive) · nn overreaksjon (reaction deemed excessive) · nb overreaksjon (reaction deemed excessive) · el υπεραντίδραση (reaction deemed excessive) · cmn 反應過度 /反应过度 (reaction deemed excessive) · sv överreaktion (reaction deemed excessive) · ro reacție exagerată (reaction deemed excessive) · fi ylimitoitettu reaktio (reaction deemed excessive) · fi ylilyönti (reaction deemed excessive) · de Überreaktion (reaction deemed excessive) · ja 過剰反応 (reaction deemed excessive)