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
Under the FMBA, with its direct reporting line to the Kremlin, Star City’s clinic was a highly strung place.
From Reuters ● Nov. 13, 2020
All or Nothing started life as a warts-and-all NFL docu-series, and Man City gave access which showed the highly strung management style and approach of Pep Guardiola and his backroom staff.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 14, 2018
A member of the Non-European Unity Movement, Don had grown up in the diamond-mining area of Kimberley and was a rugged, fearless fellow who was also highly strung.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
