overwrought
Americanadjective
-
extremely or excessively excited or agitated.
to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality.
- Synonyms:
- frantic, distracted
-
elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate.
written in a florid, overwrought style.
-
Archaic. wearied or exhausted by overwork.
adjective
-
full of nervous tension; agitated
-
too elaborate; fussy
an overwrought style
-
with the surface decorated or adorned
Etymology
Origin of overwrought
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Much of the concern surrounding AI slop is overwrought, as low-quality mass-produced content has consistently accompanied technological innovation throughout history, from the printing press to Grub Street publications in the 1700s.
From Los Angeles Times
But in the case of this maudlin, overwrought drama, “keep your eyes open” would be a more fitting demand.
From Salon
She said Ruben had been able to explain this for many years as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had concerns in July 2025.
From BBC
That kind of overwrought rhetoric seems mismatched with the feebleness of the actual effort to keep Mamdani out of office.
From Salon
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” she whispers of an overwrought performance shown on stage in the Shakespearean tragedy.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
