Etymology

overreact

O1V4E1R1R1E1A1C3T1

Today it means: To react too much or too intensely. Full definition →

English react ← Middle English acte ← Old French act
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Italic*wre-
  8. Latinre-
  9. Old Frenchre-
  10. Middle Englishre-
  11. Englishre-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  14. Proto-Italic*agō
  15. Latinagō
  16. Latināctus
  17. Latinācta
  18. Old Frenchact
  19. Middle Englishacte
  20. Englishact
  21. Englishreact
  22. English todayoverreact

From over- + react.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.