1
as in heated
being in a state of increased activity or agitation
became overwrought when she heard that her child was missing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ornate
elaborately and often excessively decorated
the author's prose is overwrought with purple passages and florid metaphors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overwrought
The year 2025 was more tumultuous than any silly football game and its accompanying overwrought metaphors.
—
Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Her desserts are plated like modern art, with thoughtful, generous, but never overwrought flourishes.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
There’s a particular kind of magic to Dôen, a brand that makes getting dressed feel romantic, easy, and never overwrought.
—Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 3 Dec. 2025
The resulting performance is terribly overwrought, and more than a little fun to watch in its grasping bigness.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwrought
Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Her desserts are plated like modern art, with thoughtful, generous, but never overwrought flourishes.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
There’s a particular kind of magic to Dôen, a brand that makes getting dressed feel romantic, easy, and never overwrought.
—Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 3 Dec. 2025
The resulting performance is terribly overwrought, and more than a little fun to watch in its grasping bigness.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwrought
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwrought
Adjective
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The prosecutors and the defense team became heated with one another repeatedly over the evidence, witness scheduling and lines of questioning.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
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The property also included a ranch office, a firehouse and a seven-bay heated garage.—
Susan Montoya Bryan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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No rote midcentury-modern furniture here, nor the ornate colonial opulence that seems to be a default in many of Peru's more traditional five-stars.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
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This includes the black-and-white Courtly Check, pale-pink Rosy Check, ornate Butterfly Toile, springtime-evoking Wildflowers, and Butterfly Hill.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Broker Gino Kalasho of Commercial Asset Advisors, who worked with Las Cuatro Milpas in securing the new space, said Monday that the family was a delight to work with and that the other retail tenants at Mercado del Barrio are excited about the prospect of having the restaurant as a new neighbor.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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After making the Olympic team, the New Jersey native was most excited about the village.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Or, more to the point, director Grant Gee treats his 102 minutes of baroque ennui as the devil claiming his due.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
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It could be said that Send Help indulges in more baroque plot twists than fully necessary and begins to lose some steam toward the end.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But Funk’s reassurances was enough to quell the agitated crowd.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Our divisions are constantly nudged, magnified, monetized, and weaponized by systems that profit from keeping us emotionally engaged and perpetually agitated.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For Araminta, a woman who has always lived within society’s strictures, Sophie is just another rule to follow — and Leung does so with sneering menace, extravagant goth gowns, and a purposefully maternal approach.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
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These experiences are undeniably extravagant—and also fleeting.—
Melissa Petro,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwrought.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwrought. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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