overzealous

adjective

over·​zeal·​ous ˌō-vər-ˈze-ləs 

: 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

Were overzealous Christians seeking social relevance by forcing a connection? —Rusty Wright, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2025

The misguided slogans of anti-Israel leftists and overzealous social-justice activists that echo the Iranian regime’s anti-Zionist talking points do nothing but harm the Palestinian cause. —Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 26 June 2025

The absence of an overzealous waiter may have changed the course of Ajax. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 3 July 2025

But overzealous pursuit of such autonomy is dangerous, too. —Mustafa Kutlay, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overzealous

• bellis
• felis
• fellas
• jealous
• pelisse
• trellis
• zealous
• michaelis
• nucellus
• ocellus