overwrought

[oh-ver-rawt, oh-ver-]

adjective

1. extremely or excessively excited or agitated.

   to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality.

   Synonyms: frantic, distracted

2. elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate.

   written in a florid, overwrought style.

3. Archaic.,  wearied or exhausted by overwork.

overwrought

/ ˌəʊvəˈrɔːt /

adjective

1. full of nervous tension; agitated

2. too elaborate; fussy

   an overwrought style

3. with the surface decorated or adorned

Word History and Origins

Origin of overwrought¹

First recorded in 1660–70; over- + wrought

Example Sentences

That kind of overwrought rhetoric seems mismatched with the feebleness of the actual effort to keep Mamdani out of office.

Read more on Salon

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” she whispers of an overwrought performance shown on stage in the Shakespearean tragedy.

Read more on Barron's

It’s time for the SEC to revoke this inappropriate and overwrought rule.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Lately, however, there are signs that the story has entered its baroque phase, as firms have to reach further and further to meet heightened expectations, and some new efforts begin to feel overwrought.

Read more on Barron's

This contrast is a good deal more dramatically compelling than the somewhat overwrought psychological drama that exerts a regressive pull on “anthropology.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frantic