overzealous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- overzealously adverb
- overzealousness noun
Etymology
Origin of overzealous
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.
They’re overzealous because the law is very clear that oversight of these markets is the exclusive province of the federal government.
From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026
The last feature Gyllenhaal appeared in as an actor was 2018’s “The Kindergarten Teacher,” playing an overzealous mentor to a young poetry prodigy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
To a modern eye, this might seem overzealous.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026
The tattooist responsible triple-checked before starting work and said Mr Thomas would have to keep it for at least a year "as a punishment" for being overzealous.
From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024
The warrant officer in charge of field exercises is the commandant, an overzealous schoolmaster named Bastian with an expansive walk and a round belly and a coat quivering with war medals.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
