Irregular verbs Regular verbs
overthink, overthinks, overthinking, overthought
Synonyms: ruminate, obsess, agonize, dwell on, brood
Antonyms: improvise, simplify, act impulsively, underthink, be spontaneous
The Verb Overthink – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb overthink is a very common irregular verb meaning to spend too much time thinking about or analyzing something, often in a way that is unhelpful and causes anxiety or inaction. VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: overthink ■ Past Simple: overthought ■ Past Participle: overthought ■ Present Participle/Gerund: overthinking USAGE AND CONTEXT 'Overthink' is widely used in modern conversations about mental health, decision-making, and relationships. 1. Complicating Simple Decisions This refers to getting stuck in 'analysis paralysis' over a minor issue. ■ Daily Life: 'Don't overthink what to wear. Just pick something and let's go.' ■ Indecision: 'I overthought the problem for so long that I ended up doing nothing at all.' 2. Causing Anxiety and Worry This relates to dwelling on past events or worrying excessively about the future. ■ Social Interaction: 'After the party, I couldn't sleep because I kept overthinking everything I said.' ℹ IMPORTANT: PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTEXT ■ A Modern Concept: While the idea is old, the verb 'overthink' has become extremely popular in contemporary discussions about anxiety and mindfulness. ■ Noun Form: The gerund 'overthinking' is often used as a noun to describe the habit itself. Example: 'Overthinking is the enemy of progress.'
| OVERTHINK - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | overthink |
| ★ you | overthink |
| ★ he/she/it | overthinks |
| ★ we | overthink |
| ★ you (plural) | overthink |
| ★ they | overthink |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I always overthink simple decisions. |
| - You overthink things and create problems that don't exist. |
| - He overthinks every move in a chess game. | She overthinks every social interaction. |
| - We overthink the problem instead of just solving it. |
| - You (plural) overthink the details too much. |
| - They overthink their strategy and miss opportunities. |
| OVERTHINK - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | overthinking |
| ★ you are | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it is | overthinking |
| ★ we are | overthinking |
| ★ you are | overthinking |
| ★ they are | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am overthinking this email again. |
| - You are overthinking my comment; I meant nothing by it. |
| - He is overthinking the situation. | She is overthinking what to wear. |
| - We are overthinking this, the answer is probably simple. |
| - You (plural) are overthinking the plan. |
| - They are overthinking their next step. |
| OVERTHINK - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | overthought |
| ★ you have | overthought |
| ★ he/she/it has | overthought |
| ★ we have | overthought |
| ★ you have | overthought |
| ★ they have | overthought |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have overthought the situation and now I am more confused than before. |
| - You have overthought this to the point of paralysis. |
| - He has overthought his speech and now it sounds unnatural. | She has overthought the problem. |
| - We have overthought the project and missed the deadline. |
| - You (plural) have overthought the issue. |
| - They have overthought their decision. |
| OVERTHINK - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | overthinking |
| ★ you have been | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it has been | overthinking |
| ★ we have been | overthinking |
| ★ you have been | overthinking |
| ★ they have been | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been overthinking this one decision for hours. |
| - You have been overthinking what he said all day. |
| - He has been overthinking his career choices. | She has been overthinking their relationship. |
| - We have been overthinking the risks involved. |
| - You (plural) have been overthinking this for weeks. |
| - They have been overthinking their investment. |
| OVERTHINK - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | overthought |
| ★ you | overthought |
| ★ he/she/it | overthought |
| ★ we | overthought |
| ★ you (plural) | overthought |
| ★ they | overthought |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I overthought my answer and ended up getting it wrong. |
| - You overthought the situation and reacted badly. |
| - He overthought the problem and couldn't find a solution. | She overthought the compliment and took it as an insult. |
| - We overthought our plan, and it became too complicated. |
| - You (plural) overthought the easy question. |
| - They overthought the deal and lost the client. |
| OVERTHINK - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | overthinking |
| ★ you were | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it was | overthinking |
| ★ we were | overthinking |
| ★ you were | overthinking |
| ★ they were | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was overthinking everything he said during the conversation. |
| - You were overthinking it, as usual. |
| - He was overthinking his next move. | She was overthinking the text message she received. |
| - We were overthinking the consequences. |
| - You (plural) were overthinking the whole time. |
| - They were overthinking the meaning of the film. |
| OVERTHINK - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | overthought |
| ★ you had | overthought |
| ★ he/she/it had | overthought |
| ★ we had | overthought |
| ★ you had | overthought |
| ★ they had | overthought |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had overthought the plan, creating unnecessary complications. |
| - You had overthought the problem, which is why you failed. |
| - He had overthought his reply and missed the chance to send it. | She had overthought the situation and imagined the worst. |
| - We had overthought the issue and it caused a big argument. |
| - You (plural) had overthought the instructions. |
| - They had overthought the consequences. |
| OVERTHINK - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | overthinking |
| ★ you had been | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it had been | overthinking |
| ★ we had been | overthinking |
| ★ you had been | overthinking |
| ★ they had been | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been overthinking the problem for days before I found the simple solution. |
| - You had been overthinking that comment for a long time. |
| - He had been overthinking his future for months. | She had been overthinking the decision. |
| - We had been overthinking the design for weeks. |
| - You (plural) had been overthinking the project. |
| - They had been overthinking the consequences for the entire year. |
| OVERTHINK - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | overthink |
| ★ you will | overthink |
| ★ he/she/it will | overthink |
| ★ we will | overthink |
| ★ you will | overthink |
| ★ they will | overthink |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will overthink it if you give me too much time to decide. |
| - You will overthink this and make it complicated. |
| - He will overthink the question. | She will overthink his response. |
| - We will overthink this if we don't act now. |
| - You (plural) will overthink the problem. |
| - They will overthink every detail. |
| OVERTHINK - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | overthinking |
| ★ you will be | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it will be | overthinking |
| ★ we will be | overthinking |
| ★ you will be | overthinking |
| ★ they will be | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be overthinking this all night, I just know it. |
| - You will be overthinking this for the next few days. |
| - He will be overthinking his presentation. | She will be overthinking the results. |
| - We will be overthinking the budget. |
| - You (plural) will be overthinking the possibilities. |
| - They will be overthinking the implications of the new law. |
| OVERTHINK - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | overthought |
| ★ you will have | overthought |
| ★ he/she/it will have | overthought |
| ★ we will have | overthought |
| ★ you will have | overthought |
| ★ they will have | overthought |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have overthought every possible outcome by the time morning comes. |
| - You will have overthought this so much that you won't do anything. |
| - He will have overthought his decision. | She will have overthought the entire plan by then. |
| - We will have overthought the problem and the opportunity will be gone. |
| - You (plural) will have overthought the situation. |
| - They will have overthought the offer. |
| OVERTHINK - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | overthinking |
| ★ you will have been | overthinking |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | overthinking |
| ★ we will have been | overthinking |
| ★ you will have been | overthinking |
| ★ they will have been | overthinking |
| Examples of the verb 'overthink' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the end of the week, I will have been overthinking this one decision for five days. |
| - You will have been overthinking this relationship for years. |
| - He will have been overthinking his novel for a decade. | She will have been overthinking her speech. |
| - We will have been overthinking this strategy for months. |
| - You (plural) will have been overthinking the proposal. |
| - They will have been overthinking their next move. |