overˈthink, v. Obs. in I; now rare in II.
† I. = OE. ofþyncan.
† 1. intr. To seem not good; to displease, vex, cause regret or repentance; = ofthink; cf. also forthink. Chiefly impers. with dative of person.
| c 1200 Ormin 8920 Ta þeȝȝ misstenn þeȝȝre child, & itt hem offerrþuhhte. Ibid. 19596 Iohan Bapptisste wisste itt wel & itt himm oferrþuhhte. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 2350 Hure ouer-þoughte mykel more Þe wraþthe of hure fader þe kyng. a 1350 Cursor M. 2732 (Gött.) If schoe did it, hir ouerthoght [other MSS. for thoght]. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love i. ii. (Skeat) l. 69, I se well (and that me ouerthinketh) that wit in thee faileth. |
† b. trans. To regret, repent. Obs.
| c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 1721 Nou it is to late to ouer⁓think, As I haue brew, so most I drink. c 1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Kath. v. 951 Thei shul it ouerethynke If it be proued thei ȝoue hir mete or drynke. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xviii. 332 (Camb. MS.) One of hem seyde, ‘herith my counceill, & ye shull not ouerþink it’ [Addit. MS. forthynke]. |
II. From senses of over-, 1 (c), 26, 27, 23.
2. To think over, to consider. Obs. or arch.
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 13 b, Whan I haue ouerthought these saide thinges I answere yow. c 1489 ― Sonnes of Aymon xix. 418 Yf ye overthynke wel al, ye shall fynde that [etc.]. |
† 3. To think too highly of, over-estimate. Obs.
| a 1618 Sylvester Job Triumphant iv. 147 What man, like Job, himselfe so over-thinks? 1645 Rutherford Tryal & Tri. Faith xxvi. (1845) 398 You may over-think and over-praise Paradise. |
4. refl. To exhaust oneself with too much thinking.
| a 1652 Brome City Wit iii. iv, Have you not overmus'd or overthought your selfe? |
So ˈover-ˈthinking vbl. n., too much thinking.
| 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) III. 300 It was never their over-thinking which oppress'd them. |