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
The heavy, high-strung, high-stakes series is a must-watch.
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Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 22 Dec. 2025
Things are further complicated when the eldest Stone son, played by Dermot Mulroney, brings his high-strung girlfriend, Meredith (Parker), home to meet the family, and the matriarch later reveals to everyone that her breast cancer has metastasized.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
The Family Stone Tension mounts when Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his high-strung girlfriend, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), home for Christmas to meet his family, who are fantastically played by the late Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Luke Wilson.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
Somewhat more sympathetic are Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), a gifted cellist, sidelined by chronic pain, whose generous donations keep the church running, and Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), a high-strung attorney.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-strung
Adjective
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And while her personality — playful, curious, excitable — certainly comes through, these calls are dominated by interruptions.—
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Even though this is a super chill and calm Full Moon, the energy can be excitable and erratic for most of us, due to the proximity of the Moon to the Earth.—
Adjective
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From a portable power bank to keep your phone charged to noise-canceling headphones that will drown out stressful sounds, these travel accessories will help nervous fliers and frequent travelers alike have easier journeys.—
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But now there's a new robo-tech in town, and my Roadie 3 is looking very nervous indeed.—
Cite this Entry
“High-strung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-strung. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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