Thesaurus results for OVERPROTECTIVE

overprotective

adjective

Definition of overprotective

as in protective

trying too hard to protect someone (such as a child) from danger His overprotective mother won't let him go out after dark. He is overprotective of his little sister.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of overprotective In the wedding comedy, Ferrell, 50, stars as Jim Caldwell, an overprotective father who plans his daughter’s dream wedding, and Feimster as Captain Barry, the ferry boat driver who transports the guests to the wedding. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 Here, Oli, Tad’s intrepid daughter, turns him into an overprotective father. — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 June 2026 Based on the bestselling novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 June 2026 The boy’s name is Petros (Karydis) must hide behind a mask per his strict grandmother, who is the mayor, and his overprotective mother. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026 Jeon-bok is overprotective of her beloved granddaughter, who lives life with a dangerous heart condition. — Kayti Burt, Time, 15 May 2026 Pascal has a deep connection to The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s 1999 feature directorial debut, which stars Kirsten Dunst as Lux Lisbon—one of five sisters raised by overprotective Catholic parents. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 The original 2003 Pixar movie, produced for Walt Disney Pictures, tells the story of an overprotective clownfish, Marlin, searching for his missing son, Nemo. — Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 After everything the children had gone through, their grandparents may have been a little overprotective. — Libby Smith, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective

Adjective

The gases released during this process can create a protective boundary near the shield.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
But the Chicago Sky is taking its protective measures a step further — by enlisting help from national security experts.

— Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of protective

Adjective

Hate him, despise him, be jealous of his wealth, but support his efforts to destroy Iran and hopefully end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Nice people may of course become irritated, disappointed, jealous, or defensive, since niceness does not require sainthood.

— Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of jealous

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overproductions

overprotective

overqualified

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“Overprotective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overprotective. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of overprotective

adjective

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