overactive

«overactive» in Mova's school dictionary: Too active; working, moving or doing more than is normal… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective

meaning for a pupil

1) Too active; working, moving or doing more than is normal or healthy. tree →

2) (body) An organ that works too hard, like an overactive thyroid. tree →

sense in the lessons

Used about imagination («an overactive imagination» — imagining scary or unlikely things), bodies and machines. Often a gentle way of saying someone is imagining things. Phrases: «an overactive imagination», «an overactive bladder».

examples

• You have an overactive imagination — there is no monster under the bed. tree →
• The puppy was overactive after eating cake crumbs. tree →
• An overactive gland can make the heart beat fast. tree →
• My brother's overactive brain keeps him awake at night. tree →
• The detective said the witness had an overactive imagination. tree →
• An overactive volcano had to be watched closely. tree →

note

Prefix «over-» means «too much». Opposite: «underactive». Also spelt «over-active». Not the same as «hyperactive», which is often used about children who cannot sit still.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «overactive» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.