overzealous

adjective

over·​zeal·​ous ˌō-vər-ˈze-ləs How to pronounce overzealous (audio)
: too zealous : having or showing too much zeal : excessively eager, enthusiastic, or fervent
overzealous parents
overzealous workers
… another version of the overzealous monitoring that has produced kids who leave for college without ever having crossed the street by themselves.Peggy Orenstein
The village saw the orders as unwarranted interference from an overzealous state bureaucracy and promptly appealed.Joe Treen and S. Avery Brown
overzealously adverb
… has been frequently accused by its critics of acting recklessly, overzealously, and even, at times, illegally. Steve Lustgarden
overzealousness noun
Jewell was annoyed that press descriptions of him always emphasized his "overzealousness"; he considers himself a man of details. Marie Brenner

Examples of overzealous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Many bits that comedians used in their auditions have ended up as iconic Saturday Night Live sketches, from Kristen Wiig’s overzealous Target clerk to Ana Gasteyer’s smooth operator voice, which landed her a role as a radio host interviewing Alec Baldwin about his famous Schweddy Balls recipe. Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025 Our city and state are hardly alone in overzealous spending and hiring. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2025 On Monday, Clegg said the company’s moderation practices were overzealous during a call with reporters, according to the Verge. Tim Collins, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Dec. 2024 While overzealous forecasting tells part of the digital health story this year, there were some notable stumbles at particular companies. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overzealous 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overzealous was circa 1628

Dictionary Entries Near overzealous

Cite this Entry

“Overzealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overzealous. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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