as in excitable
easily excited by nature
a dog that tends to be high-strung is not the best pet for young children
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Recent Examples of high-strung
Dogs who lack exercise and stimulation can start exhibiting behavioral problems, and this breed, in particular, has a reputation for being high-strung.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, as Hjalmar’s 14-year-old daughter, Hedvig, the elfin Maaike Laanstra-Corn is delivering yet another wonderfully eccentric embodiment of a high-strung tween with a potentially perilous excess of imagination.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
From embattled and high-strung romances to one three-time divorcée, here's a look at her relationship timeline.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Vest has always been high-strung, prone to wearing emotion on his sleeve.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 July 2025
This was also long before Emily Blunt was a household name, so the sass and high-strung nature of her character felt fresh.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 9 July 2025
A lot went down on Thursday’s new episode of Hacks, but one of the most memorable moments was when Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) had an unexpected night out with her dutiful and high-strung assistant, Damien (played by Mark Indelicato).
—Jeff Conway, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Others might be more high-strung, trying to live up to the older sibling's example or carve out their own identity.
—Emily Edlynn, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
Feeling at home is a strong theme as Buddy tries to build a relationship with his estranged father, a high-strung corporate worker on the naughty list portrayed by Michael Hayden, and make it in the human world.
—Caroline Howe, NBC News, 20 Dec. 2024
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, as Hjalmar’s 14-year-old daughter, Hedvig, the elfin Maaike Laanstra-Corn is delivering yet another wonderfully eccentric embodiment of a high-strung tween with a potentially perilous excess of imagination.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2025
From embattled and high-strung romances to one three-time divorcée, here's a look at her relationship timeline.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Vest has always been high-strung, prone to wearing emotion on his sleeve.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 July 2025
This was also long before Emily Blunt was a household name, so the sass and high-strung nature of her character felt fresh.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 9 July 2025
A lot went down on Thursday’s new episode of Hacks, but one of the most memorable moments was when Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) had an unexpected night out with her dutiful and high-strung assistant, Damien (played by Mark Indelicato).
—Jeff Conway, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Others might be more high-strung, trying to live up to the older sibling's example or carve out their own identity.
—Emily Edlynn, Parents, 8 Jan. 2025
Feeling at home is a strong theme as Buddy tries to build a relationship with his estranged father, a high-strung corporate worker on the naughty list portrayed by Michael Hayden, and make it in the human world.
—Caroline Howe, NBC News, 20 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-strung
Adjective
-
Don Phillips, the casting director, was an excitable character who put his whole heart into finding new faces.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The text is excitable and wayward, while many of the photographs are dramatically dull.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The dogs' job on marathon day will be to calm race-day jitters at the starting line, where runners can feel overwhelmed or nervous about the trek ahead.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
There was a lot of nervous smiling.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High-strung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-strung. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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