high-strung

American  

[hahy-struhng] / ˈhaɪˈstrʌŋ /

adjective

1. at great tension; highly excitable or nervous; edgy.

   high-strung nerves; a high-strung person.

   Synonyms:

   uptight, jittery, edgy, jumpy, temperamental, tense

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Etymology

Origin of high-strung

First recorded in 1740–50

Explanation

Someone who's high-strung is extremely nervous or overly sensitive. When your high-strung neighbor comes over for coffee, you may be tempted to secretly substitute decaf for regular. A high-strung dog will start trembling and shaking during a thunderstorm, and a high-strung horse is jittery and easily spooked by unfamiliar noises. You might even describe yourself as high-strung if you find it very hard to relax. Before high-strung was used in this figurative way, it was a musician's term. Today, a high-strung or "Nashville tuned" guitar is tuned an octave higher than normal, using finer guitar strings.

Example Sentences

But as the satirically pompous, high-strung Moira Rose, the uncomfortably broke former soap opera queen and matriarch of the hit Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” O’Hara achieved universal acclaim and endless memeability.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026

Tom is a law professor and his wife, Amy, is a frustrated and high-strung housewife.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

The high-strung kid is pure nerve and he even looks like one, too; he’s the embodiment of a twitch.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

He was young and high-strung, and by his own admission he didn’t handle failure well.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024

Her health’s not too good, she’s high-strung to begin with.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• excitable
• restless