hyperactive
Americanadjective
-
unusually or abnormally active.
a company's hyperactive growth; the child's hyperactive imagination.
-
(of children) displaying exaggerated physical activity sometimes associated with neurologic or psychologic causes.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- hyperaction noun
- hyperactively adverb
- hyperactivity noun
Etymology
Origin of hyperactive
Explanation
Anything hyperactive is doing more than it should — a hyperactive child bounces off the walls, and a hyperactive gland secretes too much and makes you feel bad. It's good to be active, but add hyper and it’s not so good anymore. Hyper comes from a Greek word for “too much.” If someone is hyperactive, she might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People who suffer from it are hyperactive and can’t concentrate. You could say they’re hyper, which is short for hyperactive, but that’s not very polite. Hyperactive glands produce too many hormones and throw the body out of whack. Hyperactive things need to settle down.
Vocabulary lists containing hyperactive
Just Do It: Act
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Selections Vocabulary 1, Unit 3
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The concert leaned heavily on the band's new album Arirang, which folds the melody and mythology of Korea's folk music into the band's hyperactive, experimental pop sound.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Symptoms can vary widely, with some individuals primarily experiencing inattentiveness, while others show more hyperactive or impulsive behavior, or a combination of both.
From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026
The action is punctuated by booming sound effects — canned applause, the “wah-wah” of a sad trombone and a hyperactive electronic buzzer, among them — coming from a trigger-happy soundboard operator behind the coffee counter.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
His mother said he “talks 24/7 all day every day” and while he can be hyperactive, “I do feel he can control himself.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
“I've got diabetes, high blood pressure, a hyperactive thyroid, and poor circulation in my legs. And she’s worried about a little caffeine.”
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
