Standard Lemma guide

overthink

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To think or analyze too much.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Don't overthink the problem. It's not that difficult.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: underthink

2

verb

Meaning 2

To think too highly (of); overestimate

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overapproximate, overstate, overestimate, overhold, overrate, overreckon, overthink

Antonyms: understate, misunderestimate, sell short, underapproximate, underestimate, underguess, underjudge, underrate, underreckon

3

verb

Meaning 3

To think about; think over

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bethink, mull, quander, afterthink, agitate, call to mind, chew, chew over, chew the cud, cogitate, consider, contemplate, deliberate, introspect, mull over, muse, overthink, ponder, meditate, reflect, rethink, reconsider, revolve, ruminate, second-guess, think, think over

Antonyms: none provided

History

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- Proto-West Germanic *þankijan Old English þenċan Middle English thinken English think English overthink From over- + think.

From Middle English *overthenken, *overthenchen (compare Middle English overthinken (“to grieve; have regrets; be sorry; be anxious”)), from Old English oferþenċan (“to think over; consider”), equivalent to over- + think.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: pensar massa — to think or analyze too much
  • Catalan: pensar[-lo] massa — to think or analyze too much
  • Chinese Mandarin: 想太多 — to think or analyze too much
  • Finnish: ylimiettiä — to think or analyze too much
  • Finnish: yliajatella — to think or analyze too much
  • French: surpenser — to think or analyze too much
  • French: surréfléchir — to think or analyze too much
  • German: zerdenken — to think or analyze too much
  • Greek: πολυσκέφτομαι (polyskéftomai) — to think or analyze too much
  • Hungarian: túlagyal — to think or analyze too much
  • Hungarian: túl sokat gondolkodik/agyal/filozofál — to think or analyze too much
  • Indonesian: lajak pikir — to think or analyze too much
  • Indonesian: pikir berlebih — to think or analyze too much
  • Spanish: pensar(lo) demasiado / demasiadamente — to think or analyze too much
  • Spanish: pensar(lo) de más — to think or analyze too much
  • Spanish: pensar(se / lo) / pensárselo dos veces — to think or analyze too much
  • German: abwägen — to think (sth) over
  • German: überdenken — to think (sth) over
  • German: überlegen — to think (sth) over
  • Indonesian: terus memikirkan — to think (sth) over