1
as in heated
being in a state of increased activity or agitation
became overwrought when she heard that her child was missing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ornate
elaborately and often excessively decorated
the author's prose is overwrought with purple passages and florid metaphors
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overwrought
Watch on Deadline Writer Mak Tin-shu, whose credits include last year’s milestone alien invasion extravaganza Warriors of Future, offsets the action with a generous showering of overwrought melodrama, as is to be expected from such a bombastic crowdpleaser.
—
James Marsh, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Even after a computer beat the world champion human chess player, fears of machines taking over the world and destroying mankind are overwrought.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2024
No word is overwrought, no phrase fraught with unearned feeling, no hand ioverplayed.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
It Chapter Two is down to clown, again — in a bloody, silly, overwrought sequel
Moving down the tension scale to thrillers, Netflix is offloading a few particularly popular titles.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwrought 
James Marsh, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research NO: Even after a computer beat the world champion human chess player, fears of machines taking over the world and destroying mankind are overwrought.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2024
No word is overwrought, no phrase fraught with unearned feeling, no hand ioverplayed.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
It Chapter Two is down to clown, again — in a bloody, silly, overwrought sequel
Moving down the tension scale to thrillers, Netflix is offloading a few particularly popular titles.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwrought
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwrought
Adjective
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Outdoors, a heated in-ground swimming pool, a lounge area, and a barbecue station are positioned around a landscaped lot that’s just shy of an acre.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2025
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Each offer multiple dining options, robust spa services, and heated pools.—
Brad Japhe,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The yacht manages to feel palatial and opulent, without the overdone, stuffy feeling that sometimes goes hand in hand with ornate styling.—
Katia Damborsky,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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As well as being a place of active worship, the cathedral is a wonder of Gothic architecture, complete with ornate stonework, graceful flying buttresses, and a breathtaking collection of medieval stained glass.—
Jessica Macdonald,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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If the big names in the Big Easy aren’t reason enough to get excited for Super Bowl LIX, there is no shortage of storylines that make this year’s championship bout between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles especially compelling.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2025
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Antonio Banderas was excited to watch his costar in Bosch's new Super Bowl commercial pull off some impressive wrestling moves on set.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Watch on Deadline Van Kampen wrote the play Farinelli and the King and its baroque music.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
18 Jan. 2025
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As environmental changes damage traditional terracotta sculptures, training local artisans to conserve these baroque masterpieces can help revive a local ceramics tradition.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The climax is a horrendous German burning of a village, as striking for its visual imagery as for its agitated music.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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The inaugural film in The Conjuring franchise understands that seasoned viewers of haunted-house films know what signs to look for by now: cold spots, agitated pets, clocks that stop ticking.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Top 3 Can't Miss Known for its extravagant events featuring LGBTQ+ icons, Nemacolin is a resort to experience at least once.—
Jared Ranahan,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2025
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Archaeologists found the artwork in the floor of an extravagant mansion in Pompeii known as the House of the Faun in 1831.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Overwrought.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwrought. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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