high-strung

/'hai'strʌɳ/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
high-strung

A high-strung student nervously taps their pencil before the exam.

Definition

Adjective: - Being in a tense, nervous, or excitable state: Describes a person who is easily agitated, anxious, or overly sensitive to stress. It implies a temperament that is tightly wound or reactive.

Usage

This adjective is used to describe a person's temperament or emotional state. It often carries a nuance of being overly sensitive, easily stressed, or prone to nervous excitement. - It typically precedes a noun (e.g., a high-strung individual) or follows a linking verb (e.g., She is high-strung). - It is generally used to describe people, though it can sometimes be applied to animals, like certain breeds of dogs or horses.

Examples
  • Adjective:
    • The lead violinist was so high-strung that she couldn't eat before a performance.
    • His high-strung nature made him overreact to minor setbacks.
    • Living with a high-strung roommate can be challenging.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be high-strung": This is the standard construction to describe someone's inherent temperament.
    • Despite his calm appearance, he is actually quite high-strung.
  • Used in comparative and superlative forms: more high-strung, most high-strung.
    • Of all the candidates, she was the most high-strung during the interview process.
Variants and Related Words
  • Highly strung (adj): A common variant, especially in British English, with the same meaning.
    • The highly strung racehorse needed a calm handler.
  • Tense (adj): A more general synonym for being nervous or unable to relax.
  • Nervous (adj): Easily agitated or alarmed; anxious.
Synonyms
  • Edgy: Nervous, irritable, or tense.
  • Jittery: Feeling nervous or unable to relax.
  • Excitable: Easily excited, especially to anger or other strong emotions.
  • Nervy (informal): Nervous or easily agitated.
Antonyms
  • Calm: Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.
  • Relaxed: Free from tension and anxiety.
  • Placid: Not easily upset or excited; calm and peaceful.
  • Easygoing: Relaxed and tolerant in attitude or manner.
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • "Wound up (too tight)": An informal idiom with a very similar meaning to "high-strung," suggesting someone is tense and ready to react strongly.
    • Don't bother him now; he's really wound up about the deadline.
  • "On edge": Nervous, anxious, or irritable.
    • The constant noise had everyone on edge.
high-strung

A high-strung student nervously taps their pencil before the exam.

Adjective
  1. being in a tense state

Từ đồng nghĩa

Từ tương tự