: having an extremely nervous or sensitive temperament

Examples of high-strung in a Sentence

a dog that tends to be high-strung is not the best pet for young children
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Her perception of things is a lot more high-strung than mine. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 28 May 2024 In order to support her siblings, Tanya fakes her way into a fancy fashion job, working under the high-strung Rose Lindsey, played by a scene-stealing Nicole Richie in a series of statement blazers. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024 Wood played many characters who were true-blue reliable, and others who were high-strung and neurotic. Tim Gray, Variety, 20 July 2023 During a high-profile, two-day NATO summit in Lithuania, intense wrangling that diplomats generally prefer to keep behind closed doors instead spilled into public view, revealing a relationship between Kyiv and Western capitals that can be high-strung, emotionally fraught and occasionally messy. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 12 July 2023 Certain warning lights might come uninvited, as modern supercars are notoriously high-strung and finicky. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 7 July 2023 In the piece, Licht talked about how some of CNN's COVID coverage had been high-strung and lost touch with the country, a criticism that angered many in the newsroom. David Bauder, ajc, 7 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-strung was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near high-strung

Cite this Entry

“High-strung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-strung. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

high-strung

adjective
-ˈstreŋ
: very nervous or sensitive
a dog too high-strung for children

Medical Definition

high-strung

adjective
: having an extremely nervous or sensitive temperament

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