overzealous

adjective

over·​zeal·​ous ˌō-vər-ˈze-ləs How to pronounce overzealous (audio)
: 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 However, this access could be curtailed by a single piece of overzealous regulation. Boaz Sobrado, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024 Just Burt, an overzealous passenger played by guest star Tom McGowan (Frasier). Claire Franken, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2024 The emphasis on verifiability is, in part, a response to a recent spate of PR and legal headaches resulting from companies’ overzealous or unclear climate claims. Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024 Credit an overzealous network censor — who operates completely separate from the production team, and even the network’s specials execs. Michael Schneider, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overzealous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overzealous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overzealous was circa 1628

Dictionary Entries Near overzealous

Cite this Entry

“Overzealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overzealous. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

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