Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
思い過ごし (おもいすごし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
groundless fear ; overthinking ; making too much of something
Refers to worrying excessively or reading too much into a situation, often without real cause. Commonly used in the phrase 思い過ごしだった (it was just my imagination / I was overthinking it).
に
心しん
配ぱい
し
なく
て
も
大だい
丈じょう
夫ぶ
だ
よ
。
思おも
い
過す
ごし
だ
って
。
You don't need to worry so much. It's just overthinking.
Written forms 思おも い 過す ごし Usage 80%
思おも いすごし Usage 20%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; less common but still used.
Kanji 過 overdo, exceed, go beyond Similar words 考かんが え 過す ぎ 考え過ぎ emphasizes thinking too much in a logical or analytical sense, while 思い過ごし focuses on emotional overreaction or groundless worry.
取と り 越こ し 苦ぐ 労ろう 取り越し苦労 is a more formal or proverbial expression for worrying about something before it happens, whereas 思い過ごし is more casual and often used in everyday conversation.
Etymology Compound of 思い (thought, feeling) and 過ごし (excess, from 過ごす 'to pass/exceed'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is transparently formed from these elements.
