Meaning & use
overwound
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“overwound” is a form of “overwind”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Wound a clock, watch, or similar device too tightly, so that it may stop or break.
Grammar: Past tense and past participle of 'overwind': 'I overwound the clock yesterday.'
Patterns
- overwound a clock
- overwound a watch
- be overwound
He overwound the old clock and it stopped ticking.
The watch was overwound, so the repair shop had to fix the spring.
Be careful not to overwind the music box.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Too tense, anxious, or tightly controlled, like a spring that has been wound too far.
Grammar: Used as an adjective, often after 'be' or 'feel': 'She felt overwound.'
Patterns
- feel overwound
- an overwound person
- emotionally overwound
After weeks without a break, he felt completely overwound.
Her overwound nerves made it hard for her to relax.
The team was overwound before the final match.
Word forms
| base form | overwind |
|---|---|
| third person singular | overwinds |
| past tense | overwound |
| past participle | overwound |
| -ing form | overwinding |
Common combinations
- overwound the clock
- She overwound the clock and it would not run.
- get overwound
- I always get overwound before a big presentation.
- feel overwound
- He felt overwound after months of overtime.
- an overwound spring
- An overwound spring can snap if you force it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tense
- A general word for nervous tightness; 'overwound' suggests being pushed past a safe limit.
- keyed up
- Informal and often excited rather than strained; 'overwound' is more negative.
- wound up
- Similar in meaning, but 'wound up' can also mean excited or prepared.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: overwound or wound? overwound or unwound?
overwound vs wound
'Wound' can be the past of 'wind' or a noun meaning an injury. 'Overwound' always includes 'over-' and means too much winding.
overwound vs unwound
The opposite: a clock that has been allowed to run down, or a person who has relaxed.
Practice
The old clock stopped because someone ______ it too tightly.
Choose one answer.
The sentence is in the past, so the past tense 'overwound' is needed. 'Overwind' is the base form and does not fit after 'someone' in a past sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overwound”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.