highly strung
Britishadjective
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.
Other significant roles around this time included the highly strung Major Burns in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and THX 1138, the eponymous protagonist of George Lucas's dystopian 1971 sci-fi debut.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Aimée Kelly plays the role with a winning blend of caustic humor and narcissistic self-pity: She’s highly strung, manipulative and insecure.
From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2023
Norman was put in a large, state-of-the-art enclosure with other kangaroos but was clearly highly strung and by day two was looking for a way out.
From Reuters ● Jul. 31, 2018
The highly strung clients are played by guest stars who stop by for an episode.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 14, 2016
But the dog was weak, and highly strung, and suffered a heart attack one bright December morning in the country, leaping from the porch in happy pursuit of a squirrel.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
