HIGH-STRUNG

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does high-strung mean? 

• HIGH-STRUNG (adjective)
  The adjective HIGH-STRUNG has 1 sense:

1. being in a tense state

  Familiarity information: HIGH-STRUNG used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HIGH-STRUNG (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being in a tense state

Synonyms:

edgy; high-strung; highly strung; jittery; jumpy; nervy; overstrung; restive; uptight

Similar:

tense (in or of a state of physical or nervous tension)

 Context examples 

His eager face still wore that expression of intense and high-strung energy, which showed me that some novel and suggestive circumstance had opened up a stimulating line of thought.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I really believe that a finely-organized, high-strung man would suffer twice and thrice as much as they from a like injury.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

For that matter, high-strung and finely sensitive, the ill treatment had flung him into a fever, which was fed by the inflammation of his parched and swollen throat and tongue.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)