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.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overprotective
Adjective
-
Linda Stermer: Todd was an extremely jealous and possessive person.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
20 May 2025 -
But to Newsom, the team’s choices to take part in the community and the circumstances of its arrival have also stoked a loyalty that has kept the region exceptionally possessive of its team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Putnam was jealous of his wife’s flirtations, and tinkered with her schedule accordingly.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
-
When Lizzy finally runs off behind the garden hedges after getting into it with Hector for clearly being jealous of the attention Theo’s getting, Theo follows her.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Overprotective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overprotective. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share