overwrought
/'ouvə'rɔ:t/
Definition
- Adjective:
- In a state of excessive nervous agitation or emotional excitement: Describes a person who is extremely upset, anxious, or tense, often to the point of being unable to think or act calmly.
- Excessively elaborate or ornate: Describes something, like language or decoration, that is overly complicated or fussy in its design or execution.
Usage and Examples
- Describing a person's emotional state:
- She became overwrought after hearing the terrible news.
- The overwrought mother was frantically searching for her lost child.
- Describing something as excessively elaborate:
- The speech was filled with overwrought prose that was difficult to follow.
- Critics dismissed the film's overwrought visual style as distracting.
Advanced Usage
- "to be overwrought with [emotion]": to be intensely filled with a particular feeling.
- He was overwrought with guilt over the accident.
- Used to describe a state beyond simple stress, implying a loss of composure or control due to overwhelming feelings.
Variants and Related Words
- Overwrought is the adjective form. There is no direct verb form "to overwrought"; the related verb is overwork.
- Overwork (verb/noun): to work too hard or too long; excessive work.
- He was suffering from the effects of overwork.
Synonyms
- Agitated: feeling or appearing troubled or nervous.
- Distraught: deeply upset and agitated.
- Hysterical: deriving from or affected by uncontrolled extreme emotion.
- Frenzied: wildly excited or uncontrolled.
- Florid: excessively intricate or elaborate (for the stylistic sense).
Antonyms
- Calm: not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.
- Composed: having one's feelings and expression under control.
- Placid: not easily upset or excited.
- Simple: plain and uncomplicated in form or design.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To be beside oneself: to be in a state of extreme emotional agitation.
- She was beside herself with worry, which is similar to being overwrought.
- To work oneself into a state/frenzy: to make oneself become extremely agitated.
- He worked himself into a frenzy over the deadline, becoming completely overwrought.
Adjective
-
deeply agitated especially from emotion
-
distraught with grief
-
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