highly-strung


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highly-strung

adjective nervous, stressed, tense, sensitive, wired (slang), restless, neurotic, taut, edgy, temperamental, excitable, nervy (Brit. informal), twitchy (informal), on tenterhooks, easily upset, on pins and needles He was sensitive and highly-strung.
relaxed, calm, laid-back (informal), collected, serene, easy-going, placid, unfazed (informal), even-tempered
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations

highly-strung

[ˌhaɪlɪˈstrʌŋ] adjnervoso/a, teso/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

high

(hai) adjective
1. at, from, or reaching up to, a great distance from ground-level, sea-level etc. a high mountain; a high dive; a dive from the high diving-board.
2. having a particular height. This building is about 20 metres high; My horse is fifteen hands high.
3. great; large; considerable. The car was travelling at high speed; He has a high opinion of her work; They charge high prices; high hopes; The child has a high fever/temperature.
4. most important; very important. the high altar in a church; Important criminal trials are held at the High Court; a high official.
5. noble; good. high ideals.
6. (of a wind) strong. The wind is high tonight.
7. (of sounds) at or towards the top of a (musical) range. a high note.
8. (of voices) like a child's voice (rather than like a man's). He still speaks in a high voice.
9. (of food, especially meat) beginning to go bad.
10. having great value. Aces and kings are high cards.
adverb
at, or to, a great distance from ground-level, sea-level etc. The plane was flying high in the sky; He'll rise high in his profession.
ˈhighly adverb
1. very; very much. highly delighted; highly paid; I value the book highly.
2. with approval. He thinks/speaks very highly of you.
ˈhighness noun
1. the state or quality of being high.
2. a title of a prince, princess etc. Your Highness; Her Highness.
ˈhigh-chair noun
a chair with long legs, used by a baby or young child at mealtimes.
ˌhigh-ˈclass adjective
of high quality. This is a high-class hotel.
higher education
education beyond the level of secondary school education, eg at a university.
high fidelity high quality and great accuracy (in the reproduction of sound). See also hi-fi
ˌhigh-ˈhanded adjective
done, acting, without consultation of, or consideration for, other people. a high-handed decision; A new headmaster should try not to be too high-handed.
ˌhigh-ˈhandedly adverb
ˌhigh-ˈhandedness noun
high jump
a sports contest in which people jump over a bar which is raised until no-one can jump over it.
ˈhighlands noun plural
a mountainous part of certain countries, especially (with capital) of Scotland.
ˈhigh-level adjective
involving important people. high-level talks.
ˈhighlight noun
the best or most memorable event, experience, part of something etc. The highlight of our holiday was a trip to a brewery.
verb
to draw particular attention to (a person, thing etc).
ˌhighly-ˈstrung adjective
very nervous; very easily upset or excited.
ˌhigh-ˈminded adjective
having or showing good or noble ideals, principles etc.
ˌhigh-ˈmindedness noun
ˌhigh-ˈpitched adjective
(of sounds, voices etc) high, sharp. a high-pitched, childish voice.
ˌhigh-ˈpowered adjective
(with an engine which is) very powerful. a high-powered motorboat/engine.
ˈhigh-rise adjective
with many storeys. She does not like living in a high-rise flat as the children cannot get out to play easily.
ˈhighroad noun
a main road.
high school
a secondary school. She goes to high school next year.
ˌhigh-ˈspirited adjective
showing high spirits. a high-spirited horse.
high spirits
enthusiasm, cheerfulness and energy. He's in high spirits today.
high street
(with capital when used as a name) the main street of a town etc, usually with shops etc.
high-tech (ˌhai ˈtek) noun
(also hi-tech, ~high technology) the use of advanced machines and equipment in industry.
adjective
(also hi-tech). high-tech industries.
high tide
the time when the tide is farthest up the shore. High tide today is at 15.46; They set sail at high tide.
high treasontreasonhigh water
the time at which the tide or other water (eg a river) is at its highest point.
ˈhighway noun
a road, especially a large or main road.
Highway Code
in Britain, (a booklet containing) a set of official rules for road users.
ˈhighwaymanplural ˈhighwaymen noun
in earlier times, a man usually on horseback, who attacked and robbed people travelling in coaches etc on public roads.
high wirewirehigh and dry
1. (of boats) on the shore; out of the water. The boat was left high and dry of the beach.
2. in difficulties. Her husband has left her high and dry without any money.
high and low
everywhere. I've searched high and low for that book.
high and mighty
behaving as if one thinks one is very important. Don't be so high and mighty – you're just like any one of us.
the high seas
the open seas; far from land.
it is etc high time
something ought to be done or have been done etc by now. It is high time that this job was finished; It's high time someone spanked that child.

see also tall.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
A nervous, highly-strung man like myself should not, and must not, be called upon to live in a house where he is constantly meeting snakes and monkeys without warning.
She is only twenty-two years old, and is sinking already beneath the weight of her soul; a victim to highly-strung nerves, to an organization either too delicate or too full of power.
This was too much for Dorothea's highly-strung feeling, and she burst into tears, sobbing against Tantripp's arm.
The truly wise commandant of highly-strung troops allows them, in seasons of waiting, to hear the sound of their own voices uplifted in song.
Levin memorably played a highly-strung mohel -- a person who carries out circumcisions according to Jewish law -- in a 1993 episode of acclaimed TV sitcom "Seinfeld."
Cleese's manic performance as the highly-strung Basil Fawlty, proprietor of a sub-par Torquay hotel, is credited made the series a hit.
Joined by highly-strung neighbour Susan - banished from the party of her teenage daughter Abigail - the group revel in free-flowing cocktails, disco classics and pineapple and cheese on sticks.
"I found Sarri to be very highly-strung. His wife couldn't even come to the stadium.
On her way through this strange yet wonderful world she meets a cast of extraordinary characters, from the highly-strung Queen of Hearts -- who performs a hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty's famous Rose Adage -- to a playing-card corps de ballet, a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter.
Lewis is an irritating puppy who won't shut up, Perkins a highly-strung individual and Elvis is devoid of the charisma he's renowned for, and Cash is, well, small.
Someone with the intelligence to ruffle feathers and deliver rollickings while massaging highly-strung egos at the same time.
'They were a remarkable bunch of highly-strung people whose lives and relationships have spawned a whole biographical industry which is still in full swing'