Overcompensation (Noun)
Meaning 1
Excessive compensation.
Classification
Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession.
Meaning 2
(psychiatry) an attempt to overcome a real or imagined defect or unwanted trait by overly exaggerating its opposite.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The loud and boastful behavior of the man was a clear case of overcompensation for his deep-seated insecurity about his lack of accomplishments.
- After being teased for being weak as a child, he became a bodybuilder, but his aggressive behavior was an overcompensation for the vulnerability he still felt.
- Her constant need to prove herself as the smartest person in the room was an overcompensation for her fear of being seen as unintelligent.
- The CEO's lavish spending on luxury items was an overcompensation for the poverty he experienced in his childhood.
- The athlete's arrogance on the field was an overcompensation for the self-doubt he felt about his abilities.