Meaning & use
Overcompensating
Last updated
Making an excessive effort to correct or make up for a perceived deficiency or weakness.
See it in a sentence
He bought an expensive car, clearly overcompensating for his insecurities.
She was overcompensating for her nervousness by talking too loudly.
A note on using this word
Often used in psychology to describe excessive behavior aimed at hiding an insecurity.
Words with a similar meaning
overreactingoverdoing it
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
underreacting
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