overwrought
adjective
over·wrought
ˌō-vər-ˈrȯt 
ˌō-və-
Synonyms
Examples of overwrought in a Sentence
The witness became overwrought as she described the crime.
became overwrought when she heard that her child was missing
Recent Examples on the Web
Castro’s government dismisses U.S. concerns as overwrought and patronizing.
—
Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
But in the end, this is still a stereotypical superhero comic story, with all the hackneyed, overwrought presentation that can imply.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
Critics have sometimes dismissed his work as overwrought.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Here and elsewhere, Patel’s prose is bloated and overwrought; one sometimes gets the impression that we’re expected to applaud her for merely having made a comparison, not for what that comparison reveals.
—Cat Zhang, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
As a visual artist, Nolan can be compelling and immersive, as in the Los Alamos scenes, or overwrought, as in a few fantastical sequences that resemble jumbo planetarium light shows.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2023
The stories of her trips are overwrought in the way that such tales about mid-life spiritual awakenings sometimes can be.
—Trish Deitch, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
Donna Brazile, a former Democratic Party chair, insisted that reports of hand wringing are overwrought.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Under such breathless pacing, the nastiness begins to feel less harrowing than absurdly overwrought, until even its ostentatiously ugly ending fails to rouse much feeling in any direction.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2023
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Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
But in the end, this is still a stereotypical superhero comic story, with all the hackneyed, overwrought presentation that can imply.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
Critics have sometimes dismissed his work as overwrought.
—Michael Paulson, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Here and elsewhere, Patel’s prose is bloated and overwrought; one sometimes gets the impression that we’re expected to applaud her for merely having made a comparison, not for what that comparison reveals.
—Cat Zhang, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
As a visual artist, Nolan can be compelling and immersive, as in the Los Alamos scenes, or overwrought, as in a few fantastical sequences that resemble jumbo planetarium light shows.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2023
The stories of her trips are overwrought in the way that such tales about mid-life spiritual awakenings sometimes can be.
—Trish Deitch, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023
Donna Brazile, a former Democratic Party chair, insisted that reports of hand wringing are overwrought.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Under such breathless pacing, the nastiness begins to feel less harrowing than absurdly overwrought, until even its ostentatiously ugly ending fails to rouse much feeling in any direction.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwrought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
past participle of overwork
First Known Use
1638, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to overwrought
Dictionary Entries Near overwrought
Cite this Entry
“Overwrought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwrought. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
overwrought
adjective
over·wrought
ˌō-və(r)-ˈrȯt
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