strung out

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verbinformal

   Very tense, worn out and shaky because of stress or lack of sleep.

   Grammar: Usually follows be, look or feel: She looked strung out after the night shift.

   Patterns

   • be strung out
   • feel strung out
   • strung out from something

   After three nights of cramming, he looked strung out and pale.

   The new parents were strung out from months of broken sleep.

   I'm too strung out to make a decision today.

2. 2adjectiveafter a verbinformalslang

   Affected by drug addiction, or by the effects of a drug wearing off.

   Grammar: Often used of people badly affected by drugs; the tone can be harsh and judgmental.

   Patterns

   • be strung out on something

   He was strung out on pills and unable to hold a job.

   The film shows a musician strung out and sleeping in his car.

3. 3adjectiveafter a verb

   Spread out in a long line or over a long period of time.

   Grammar: Describes a group or events; here the participle can follow be or come after a noun.

   Patterns

   • strung out along something

   The runners were strung out along the final mile of the course.

   Their holiday was strung out over three months.

Common combinations

look strung out

You look strung out; did you sleep at all?

feel strung out

I feel strung out when I skip lunch and drink too much coffee.

strung out on drugs

He had been strung out on drugs for years before he asked for help.

completely strung out

The students were completely strung out after finals.

strung out along the road

The marchers were strung out along the road for half a mile.

Synonyms and how they differ

frazzled

Frazzled suggests nervous exhaustion from too many demands and is lighter and less alarming than strung out.

wired

Wired means tense and unable to relax, often from caffeine, whereas strung out adds a sense of being worn down.

burned out

Burned out means exhausted after a long period of work or stress, while strung out can describe a more sudden, jittery state.

on edge

On edge describes nervousness and irritability only, without the physical exhaustion strung out implies.

Opposites

Word family

string verb

to hang or tie something on a thin cord

string out verb

to spread things out in a line or over time

Commonly confused: strung out or highly strung?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “strung out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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