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View synonyms for overcompensate

overcompensate

[ oh-ver-kom-puhn-seyt ]

verb (used with object)

, o·ver·com·pen·sat·ed, o·ver·com·pen·sat·ing.
  1. to compensate or reward excessively; overpay:

    Some stockholders feel the executives are being overcompensated and that bonuses should be reduced.

verb (used without object)

, o·ver·com·pen·sat·ed, o·ver·com·pen·sat·ing.
  1. to exhibit psychological overcompensation; strive to overcome a sense of inferiority through overt, opposite behavior:

    The aggressive patient may be overcompensating, and be a profoundly shy person beneath the façade.

overcompensate

/ ˌəʊvəˈkɒmpɛnˌseɪt /

verb

  1. to compensate (a person or thing) excessively
  2. intr psychol to engage in overcompensation

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Derived Forms

  • ˌoverˈcompenˌsatory, adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of overcompensate1

1760–70; over- + compensate; as term in psychology, perhaps back formation from overcompensation

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Example Sentences

Gladwell argues that they are successful because they had to overcompensate when they were young for their difficulty reading.

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