overreactor
Makes mountains, molehills
An overreactor is someone who responds to situations with excessive emotion or drama—treating minor setbacks as catastrophes or small slights as grave offenses.
The term implies the reaction is disproportionate to the trigger: She's such an overreactor—one typo in an email and she thinks she'll be fired.
Compare drama queen.
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- overstateRepresent as greater
- inflateFill with gas
- amplifyIncrease in strength
- magnifyIncrease perceived size
overplay · escalate · catastrophize · embellish · overemphasize · dramatize · overdo · overdraw
Easily hurt by remarks
- touchyEasily upset or offended
- defensiveProtective or easily threatened
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
hypersensitive · oversensitive · prickly · tender · vulnerable · insecure · self-conscious · hair-trigger
Prone to sudden anger
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- hair-triggerExtremely sensitive mechanism
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
- fieryIntensely hot or passionate
mercurial · irascible · impulsive · quick-tempered · hotheaded · combustible · erratic · unpredictable
Exaggeratedly emotional in behavior
- theatricalExaggeratedly emotional for effect
- melodramaticExaggeratedly emotional in expression
- over-the-topExcessively dramatic or extravagant
- scenery-chewingTheatrical overperformance
diva · hammy · flamboyant · showy · operatic · campy · grandiose · emotive
hyperbole
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
magnify · overplay · escalate · catastrophize · embellish · overemphasize · dramatize · overdo · overdraw · oversell
thin-skinned
Easily hurt by remarks
- touchyEasily upset or offended
- defensiveProtective or easily threatened
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
delicate · hypersensitive · oversensitive · prickly · tender · vulnerable · insecure · self-conscious · hair-trigger · emotional
hot-headed
Prone to sudden anger
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- hair-triggerExtremely sensitive mechanism
- temperamentalEasily upset, unpredictable
fiery · mercurial · irascible · impulsive · quick-tempered · hotheaded · combustible · erratic · unpredictable · knee-jerk
histrionic
Exaggeratedly emotional in behavior
- theatricalExaggeratedly emotional for effect
- melodramaticExaggeratedly emotional in expression
- over-the-topExcessively dramatic or extravagant
scenery-chewing · diva · hammy · flamboyant · showy · operatic · campy · grandiose · emotive · attention-seeking
- difficult peopleegomaniac, egotist, nitpicker, drama queen, control freak
overreactorstoic
Uncomplaining endurer of hardship
minimizer · downplayer · phlegmatic · moderate · realist
overreactorcool head
Calm temperament under stress
steady hand · ice man · rock · cucumber · steady Eddie
overreact, overreacting, overreacted, overreaction, overreacts, overreactive