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
Explanation
High in drama and lacking any emotional restraint, overwrought is an adjective that means deeply, excessively agitated or nervous. Say your favorite soap star gets killed off in episode 12. If you sob uncontrollably, tear at your hair, and refuse to leave the couch for a week, most would say your response was overwrought — in other words, a bit much. But it's not just emotions that can go over the top. The gaudy, golden McMansion covered in ornate Italian statuary where your soap star lives in real life? Totally overdone, or overwrought, with details.
Vocabulary lists containing overwrought
The Phantom Tollbooth
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A Streetcar Named Desire
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Don't Panic! Synonyms for "Stress"
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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.
It's all a bit overwrought for my taste.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Its empirics are weak External link, its theory underspecified External link, and its narrative overwrought.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
Mr. Bernthal can treat a tender moment as the opportunity to be overwrought.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
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 • Dec. 5, 2025
I’d always found the Colonel’s I-hate-the-rich routine a little overwrought until I saw him with his mom.
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
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.
