overreact
/əʊvərɪˈakt
/verb [no object]
Respond more emotionally or forcibly than is justified: the Authority are urging people not to overreact to the problem...
- While there is no way to fully avoid overreacting, understanding the emotional factor will help keep fear in check.
- Like so many emotions, anger is important to respond to but not overreact to!
- Others find this more difficult - they may become withdrawn emotionally, or completely overreact to events.
Synonyms
get upset over nothing, react disproportionately, get overexcited, go too far, act irrationally, lose one's sense of proportion, exaggerate, make something out of nothing, make a mountain out of a molehill, blow something up out of all proportion
informal press/push/hit the panic button
British informal go over the top