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

Wall frames the lawsuit as an act by an overzealous Department of Justice caving to political pressure. —Justin Curto, Vulture, 23 May 2024

Students and teachers, meanwhile, suffer the consequences of overzealous filtering. —Tara García Mathewson, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024

This commuter’s dream ensures that while money saving is at the fore-front, interior space is overzealous. —Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2024

In each case, prosecutors have insisted the men were guilty and blamed the reversals on overzealous judges. —Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 22 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above