overwrought

/ˌəʊvəˈrɔːt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌəʊvərˈrɔːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌō-vər-ˈrȯt ˌō-və-/ (ame, mw)

overwrought — adjective

  • overwroughtpositive
  • more overwroughtcomparative
  • most overwroughtsuperlative

1. feeling so anxious and emotionally shaken that you cannot calm down or think cle

1.形容詞C1
釋義

feeling so anxious and emotionally shaken that you cannot calm down or think clearly, usually because of stress, bad news, or a difficult situation

例句

Tendai became overwrought when the hospital called about her father's surgery.

become overwrought + cause clause

By midnight, the bride's mother was so overwrought that she could not stop crying.

so overwrought + result clause

同義詞
  • distraught

    near-synonym; suggests grief or shock more than nervous tension

  • frantic

    emphasises hurried, agitated activity, not just inner strain

  • agitated

    milder; visible restlessness without full loss of composure

  • hysterical

    stronger; implies uncontrolled crying, laughing, or shouting

反義詞
  • calm

    everyday opposite — relaxed and in control

  • composed

    more formal; deliberately keeping outward steadiness

文法句型

be overwrought

become overwrought

look overwrought

用法筆記

Frequently used after linking verbs (be, become, look, sound, seem) when describing someone whose nerves are visibly stretched. Stronger than 'upset' or 'nervous' — implies the person has nearly lost composure from an accumulation of emotional pressure.

常見錯誤

❌I felt overwrought about which shirt to wear.
✅I felt anxious about which shirt to wear.
💡'overwrought' is reserved for serious emotional strain, not everyday small worries.
❌The room was overwrought with people.
✅The room was overcrowded with people.
💡'overwrought' describes a person's emotional state, not a place or a count of objects.