oversolicitous en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌoʊvɚsəˈlɪsɪtəs/ (General-American)
- /ˌəʊvəsəˈlɪsɪtəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From over- + solicitous.
Meanings
-
Excessively solicitous.
He that is overſolicitous to return a Benefit, thinks the other ſo likewiſe to receive it.
1693, Seneca the Younger, chapter XVI, in Roger L'Estrange, transl., Morals, translation of original in Classical Latin, page 88:The son of a United States senator (Case 91) was 30 years of age when seen. His condition had been very serious for a long time. He was cured in less than two years by a gradual education which freed him from extreme dependence upon oversolicitous parents.
1917, Maximilian P. E. Groszmann, “Malady of Scrupulosity”, in The Exceptional Child, page 673:Our waiter could have been performing as the model for what a waiter should be. Several of his tables were filled and he was busy, but kept his eye on us (never hovering, never oversolicitous) and took care of things with a degree of style that I suspect was inborn rather than cultivated.
1974 February 8, John Canaday, “An Armenian Restaurant With a Nonstrolling Musician”, in The New York Times, page 37:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most oversolicitous | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more oversolicitous | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |