Meaning & use
wound up
Feeling tense, nervous, or agitated, often due to stress or excitement.
See it in a sentence
He was so wound up before the interview that he couldn't sit still in the waiting room.
The kids get wound up whenever their grandparents visit with presents.
A note on using this word
Wound up (rhymes with "sound") describing tension should not be confused with "wound" meaning an injury, which is pronounced differently.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
calmrelaxed
Another way to use it
2. phrase
Ended up in a particular situation, often unexpectedly.
After missing the last train, they wound up walking home in the rain.
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