Meaning & use

overzealous

adjective·Academic

Showing excessive enthusiasm or eagerness, often in a way that causes problems.

See it in a sentence

An overzealous security guard stopped every visitor for a lengthy bag search.

The coach's overzealous cheering embarrassed his daughter during the game.

A note on using this word

Overzealous almost always carries a critical tone, suggesting the enthusiasm has gone too far.

Words with a similar meaning

overeagerfanatical

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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