high-strung

American  

[hahy-struhng] / ˈhaɪˈstrʌŋ /

adjective

1. at great tension; highly excitable or nervous; edgy.

   high-strung nerves; a high-strung person.

   Synonyms:

   uptight, jittery, edgy, jumpy, temperamental, tense

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Etymology

Origin of high-strung

First recorded in 1740–50

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Explanation

Someone who's high-strung is extremely nervous or overly sensitive. When your high-strung neighbor comes over for coffee, you may be tempted to secretly substitute decaf for regular. A high-strung dog will start trembling and shaking during a thunderstorm, and a high-strung horse is jittery and easily spooked by unfamiliar noises. You might even describe yourself as high-strung if you find it very hard to relax. Before high-strung was used in this figurative way, it was a musician's term. Today, a high-strung or "Nashville tuned" guitar is tuned an octave higher than normal, using finer guitar strings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high-strung

We eagerly drink in the discord because the stakes are illusory, even if the high-strung emotions turn out to be real.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026

Tom is a law professor and his wife, Amy, is a frustrated and high-strung housewife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025

The high-strung kid is pure nerve and he even looks like one, too; he’s the embodiment of a twitch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

It’s a universe removed from his Emmy-nominated performance as the high-strung Chip in “The Morning Show” — but it’s a role he seems to relish.

From New York Times ● Nov. 29, 2024

It would be a Swanburne squirrel through and through, and, therefore, its behavior could not be considered representative of the high-strung and woefully undereducated furball that is more typical of the species.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

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Related Words

• excitable
• restless

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