overwrought

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

/ ˈoʊ vərˈrɔt, ˌoʊ vər- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overwrought ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

extremely or excessively excited or agitated: to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality.

elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate: written in a florid, overwrought style.

Archaic. wearied or exhausted by overwork.

Nearby words

overwore, overwork, overworked, overworn, overwrite, overwrought, overzealous, oveta, ovett, ovi-, ovicidal

Origin of overwrought

First recorded in 1660–70; over- + wrought

SYNONYMS FOR overwrought

1 overexcited, worked up, wrought up, distracted, frantic.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overwrought ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for overwrought (2 of 2)

overwork

[ verb oh-ver-wurk; noun oh-ver-wurk ]

/ verb ˌoʊ vərˈwɜrk; noun ˈoʊ vərˌwɜrk /

verb (used with object)

to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively): Don't overwork yourself on that new job.

to work up, stir up, or excite excessively: to overwork a mob to the verge of frenzy.

to employ or elaborate to excess: an appeal for sympathy that has been overworked by many speakers.

to work or decorate all over; decorate the surface of: white limestone overworked with inscriptions.

verb (used without object)

to work too hard, too much, or too long; work to excess: You look as though you've been overworking.

noun

work beyond one's strength or capacity.

extra or excessive work.

Origin of overwork

before 1000; Old English oferwyrcan. See over-, work

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for overwrought

That was the last time the band allowed tepid performances and overwrought production overwhelm an otherwise solid set of songs.
U2 Generously Gives Us a Lousy Album, Sucks at the Corporate Teat|Hampton Stevens|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cuse: At first, I was a little apprehensive about jumping into a genre that seemed really overdone and overwrought.
Vampires without Glitter or Girl Problems: Inside Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Strain’|Andrew Romano|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By now I'm so overwrought with chi's and fu's and kong's and kung's that my eyes have about crossed.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There has got to be a way to size up a new smartphone without devolving into the most overwrought tech clichés on the Internet.
The World’s Most Sarcastic Product Review: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone|Winston Ross|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But efforts to call the legislation the “end of labor unions” are overwrought.
One Tough Nerd—Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s Pragmatic Labor Stance|John Avlon|December 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Charging it up to an overwrought imagination and chiding himself for a silly chump he moved on.
The Boy Scouts in A Trapper's Camp|Thornton W. Burgess
But is it a remembrance, or only a chimera of my own overwrought brain struggling with a subject it will not let drop?
Hand and Ring|Anna Katharine Green
When we're overwrought, imagination's like a lantern swinging in the wind, changing the size of everything every second.
No Clue|James Hay
She continued to rave wildly until the potent drug took effect on her overwrought system and produced a deep, unnatural slumber.
The Bride of the Tomb and Queenie's Terrible Secret|Mrs. Alexander McVeigh Miller
Across it flit the agonies, the joys, of the modern anmic, overwrought woman.
Iconoclasts|James Huneker

British Dictionary definitions for overwrought (1 of 2)

overwrought

/ (ˌəʊvəˈrɔːt) /

adjective

full of nervous tension; agitated

too elaborate; fussyan overwrought style

(often postpositive and foll by with) with the surface decorated or adorned

British Dictionary definitions for overwrought (2 of 2)

overwork

verb (ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk) (mainly tr)

(also intr) to work or cause to work too hard or too long

to use too muchto overwork an excuse

to decorate the surface of

to work up

noun (ˈəʊvəˌwɜːk)

excessive or excessively tiring work

Derived Formsoverworked, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for overwrought (1 of 3)

overwrought

adj.

"worked up to too high a pitch," 1825, literally "over-worked," from over- + wrought. Earlier it meant "exhausted by work" (1660s) as a literal past participle of overwork.

Word Origin and History for overwrought (1 of 3)

overwork

"to cause to work too hard," 1520s, from over- + work (v.). Old English oferwyrcan meant "to work all over," i.e. "to decorate the whole surface of." Related: Overworked; overworking.

Word Origin and History for overwrought (2 of 3)

overwork

"work beyond a person's strength," 1819; see overwork (v.). Old English oferweorc meant "a superstructure, sarcophagus, tomb."

overwrought

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of overwrought

Definition for overwrought (2 of 2)

overwork

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of overwork

Examples from the Web for overwrought

British Dictionary definitions for overwrought (1 of 2)

overwrought

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for overwrought (2 of 2)

overwork

verb (ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk) (mainly tr)

noun (ˈəʊvəˌwɜːk)

Word Origin and History for overwrought (1 of 3)

overwrought

Word Origin and History for overwrought (1 of 3)

overwork

Word Origin and History for overwrought (2 of 3)

overwork