overstrung

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   excessively tense, nervous, or emotionally strained

   Weeks of sleeplessness had left his overstrung nerves close to collapse.

2. 2
   adj

   fitted with a string, wire, or cord drawn too tightly

   The overstrung bow was difficult to control safely.

Formed from over- + strung, the past participle of string. The literal sense describes something strung too tightly; the figurative sense transfers that excessive tension to a person's nerves or emotions.

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