übereilte

Übereilte is a German adjective formed from the verb übereilen, meaning to act hastily or to rush into something. It describes actions, decisions, or measures that are undertaken without adequate consideration, implying rashness or prematurity. The term is commonly found in formal writing, journalism, and literary prose, and is less frequent in casual speech where synonyms like vorschnell or hastig are often preferred. As a attributive adjective, it typically appears before a feminine noun, for example: eine übereilte Entscheidung. It can also occur with other gendered nouns in appropriate inflection, such as ein übereiltes Vorgehen.

Etymology and usage notes: übereilen combines über- (over, excessively) with eilen (to hurry). The prefix conveys going beyond what is reasonable in terms of haste. The form übereilte is the common attributive spelling before feminine nouns in the singular; other inflected forms follow standard German adjective endings.

Related terms: Übereilung (the noun for haste or rashness, the act of acting too quickly) and übereilt (the adverbial or adjectival base in related forms). Similar concepts include überstürzt (carelessly hurried) and vorschnell (premature).

Examples:

- Die Entscheidung war übereilt und wurde später wieder korrigiert.

- Man sollte nicht zu übereilten Maßnahmen greifen, wenn die Fakten noch unklar sind.

In summary, übereilte denotes behavior or decisions marked by excessive haste, serving as a concise descriptor in evaluative or critical discourse.

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