high-strung

[ hahy-struhng ]

/ ˈhaɪˈstrʌŋ /

at great tension; highly excitable or nervous; edgy: high-strung nerves; a high-strung person.

Nearby words

First recorded in 1740–50

He was “high-strung”—intensely neurotic—yet a charismatic personality nonetheless.
The Devil and Woodrow Wilson: An Interview With Joyce Carol Oates|Jane Ciabattari|March 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He is high-strung and on edge, and his volatility practically sears the screen.
Overacting Anonymous: The Christian Bale and Natalie Portman Edition|Tricia Romano|February 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Some of the high-strung chaps do go to pieces about this time and you have to nurse them along pretty carefully.
Left Guard Gilbert|Ralph Henry Barbour
The music consists of a high-strung violin and a species of guitar.
The Life and Adventures of Kit Carson, the Nestor of the Rocky Mountains, from Facts Narrated by Himself|De Witt C. Peters

And though I hadn't no idee what them wuz, yet I always felt that the carriers of 'em must have felt solemn and high-strung.
Samantha on the Woman Question|Marietta Holley
He was a fair-complexioned, clever, high-strung Virginian, and managed to obtain a great deal of paper money from both republics.
Campaigns of a Non-Combatant,|George Alfred Townsend
It was eloquent, vibrating with eloquence, but too high-strung, I think.
Heart of Darkness|Joseph Conrad