overwrought

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   in a state of nervous excitement or anxiety

   She became overwrought after hearing the news.

2. 2
   adj

   excessively elaborate or complicated

   The novel's overwrought prose made it difficult to read.

From Old English over- ('excessively') plus wrought (past participle of work); via Middle English overworken ('to work too much') and Early Modern English overwrought ('worked up; agitated') to modern English overwrought (excessively agitated or elaborate).

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