overwrought

Use Overwrought in a sentence

adjective

extremely or excessively excited or agitated: to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality.

elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate: written in a florid, overwrought style.

Archaic. wearied or exhausted by overwork.

Origin:
1660–70; over- + wrought

Synonyms
1. overexcited, worked up, wrought up, distracted, frantic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used with object)

to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively): Don't overwork yourself on that new job.

to work up, stir up, or excite excessively: to overwork a mob to the verge of frenzy.

to employ or elaborate to excess: an appeal for sympathy that has been overworked by many speakers.

to work or decorate all over; decorate the surface of: white limestone overworked with inscriptions.

verb (used without object)

to work too hard, too much, or too long; work to excess: You look as though you've been overworking.

noun

work beyond one's strength or capacity.

extra or excessive work.

Origin:
before 1000; Old English oferwyrcan. See over-, work

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To overwrought

00:10

Overwrought is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

overwork

—vb
1.	(also intr) to work or cause to work too hard or too long
2.	to use too much: to overwork an excuse
3.	to decorate the surface of
4.	to work up

—n
5.	excessive or excessively tiring work

over'worked

—*adj*

overwrought (ˌəʊvəˈrɔːt)

—*adj* (and foll by with)
1.	full of nervous tension; agitated
2.	too elaborate; fussy: an overwrought style
3.	with the surface decorated or adorned

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

overwork

"to cause to work too hard," 1530, from over + work (q.v.). O.E. oferwiercan meant "to work all over," i.e. "to decorate the whole surface of."

overwrought

"worked up to too high a pitch," 1825, lit. "over-worked," from over + wrought (q.v.).