Overscrutinizing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Examining or inspecting something with excessive attention to detail; analyzing or assessing with extreme criticality; scrutinizing beyond what is necessary or reasonable
2. Conducting a detailed and overly critical investigation or observation; meticulously reviewing or evaluating to an unnecessary degree; excessively checking for faults or errors
3. Taking a very thorough and often exaggerated look at something; focusing intently on minute aspects or flaws; applying an undue level of examination or critique

Etymology: "Overscrutinizing" is formed from "over-" and "scrutinize," with the "over-" prefix meaning excess, as in "overcook" or "overthink." The base "scrutinize" comes from the Latin "scrutari," meaning to search or examine, and in turn from "scruta," rubbish or trash, so the earliest sense of searching was close to rummaging through things. Scrutiny was originally a legal and formal idea, used for examining votes or documents, before it came to mean careful looking in general. The word's meaning shows the same pattern as "overthink" and "overanalyze": it describes a legitimate activity pushed past the point of usefulness. The "over-" prefix has been productive in English for centuries, so the word is a transparent compound rather than a term with a dramatic history of its own.

Synonyms: overanalyzing, overexamining, overinspecting, nitpicking, overcriticizing

Antonyms: overlooking, neglecting, ignoring