high-strung
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of high-strung
First recorded in 1740–50
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.
Vocabulary lists containing high-strung
Rosa Parks: My Story
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Gather
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Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush
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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.
Tom is a law professor and his wife, Amy, is a frustrated and high-strung housewife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
Her high-strung sensibilities might align with Everett’s mind for business, but Meredith certainly isn’t the kind of woman that can loosen up the eldest son’s stiff demeanor.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 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
In “Risky Business,” he was the high-strung pop of Cruise’s sneaky Joel Goodsen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2024
“Possibly two of the three, Nell,” Aunt Kitty called from the back room, her arms in the wardrobe again and digging so quickly that she seemed like some sort of high-strung gopher.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
