Definitions

overwrought

[oh-ver-rawt, oh-ver-] / ˈoʊ vərˈrɔt, ˌoʊ vər- /

ADJECTIVE

exhausted and excited

Synonyms

STRONGEST

frantic

WEAK

affected agitated all shook up beside oneself crazy distracted emotional excitable fired-up flipped-out freaked-out histrionic histrionical hot under collar hot-and-bothered hyper in a state nervous neurotic on edge overexcited overstrung overworked spent steamed up stirred strung-out tense tired uneasy unstrung uptight weary wired worked-up worn wound-up

Antonyms

WEAK

calm collected cool rested unruffled

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

More often, it’s because everyone in the child’s social circle is using a smartphone to access social media, and children tell their parents—no doubt in overwrought terms—that being left out would be social suicide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 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

Laughing at my own overwrought imagination, I moistened the paper in the basin water and worked the stamp gently free.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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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