Overlove

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To experience an exaggerated level of affection for someone, which can lead to expressions of attachment that exceed healthy boundaries, potentially causing emotional imbalance
2. To feel an extreme level of affection that goes beyond normal limits
3. To show a degree of tenderness or care that surpasses what is typically considered healthy

Etymology: "Overlove" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-", meaning "too much" or "beyond the proper measure," attached to "love." The sense is simply loving something to excess, which is what the word has meant all along, so the construction is transparent to any English speaker. The word has an older ancestor in Old English, "oferlufu," a noun meaning "excessive love." That means the idea of love in too great a measure was already expressed in the language centuries before the English verb appeared, and the modern form grew from the same pattern of putting "over-" in front of a familiar root. The verb is a fairly modest formation, one that English speakers could build whenever they needed to describe affection tipping into excess.

Synonyms: overly affectionate

Antonyms: neglect