overwrought









overwrought


adjective

  1. extremely or excessively excited or agitated: to become overwrought on hearing bad news; an overwrought personality.
  2. elaborated to excess; excessively complex or ornate: written in a florid, overwrought style.
  3. Archaic. wearied or exhausted by overwork.

verb (used with object)

  1. 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.
  2. to work up, stir up, or excite excessively: to overwork a mob to the verge of frenzy.
  3. to employ or elaborate to excess: an appeal for sympathy that has been overworked by many speakers.
  4. to work or decorate all over; decorate the surface of: white limestone overworked with inscriptions.

verb (used without object)

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

noun

  1. work beyond one’s strength or capacity.
  2. extra or excessive work.

adjective

  1. full of nervous tension; agitated
  2. too elaborate; fussyan overwrought style
  3. (often postpositive and foll by with) with the surface decorated or adorned

verb (ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk) (mainly tr)

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

noun (ˈəʊvəˌwɜːk)

  1. excessive or excessively tiring work

adj.“worked up to too high a pitch,” 1825, literally “over-worked,” from over- + wrought. Earlier it meant “exhausted by work” (1660s) as a literal past participle of overwork. v.“to cause to work too hard,” 1520s, from over- + work (v.). Old English oferwyrcan meant “to work all over,” i.e. “to decorate the whole surface of.” Related: Overworked; overworking. n.“work beyond a person’s strength,” 1819; see overwork (v.). Old English oferweorc meant “a superstructure, sarcophagus, tomb.”

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