highly-strung BrE
high-strung AmE

He's a highly strung boy, and I think that things have gotten a little out of hand, that's all.

Sandra was a dealer lacking in professional experience, who had a highly strung temperament.

One of those highly strung nervous chaps with the usual German chip on the shoulder.

They were a friendly but rather highly strung couple in late middle age, which was itself some reassurance.

I think he is just an ill and shocked young man with the highly strung temperament of so many artistic people.

The characters are highly strung people confronting crises, sometimes within a moral context.

Both were regarded as highly strung characters with delicate temperaments.

This often sufficed to extract a confession from women or men of highly strung nerves.

"Stand down," Yama told her gently, as he might try and calm a highly strung mount.

He was in a highly strung state for weeks before.

Malone, with his hand touching Enid's, could feel the little quiverings which showed that her nerves were highly strung.

She was too highly strung to avoid talking about anything important in her life.

She does drink more than most people, I imagine, but she's always been highly strung.

He was as relaxed as Pilbeam was highly strung.

But she had to leave because she was a bit highly strung; and of course you know Virginia herself was.

I'm very sensitive and highly strung.

"Because it is said her mother took her own life, people are inclined to think she is highly strung."

This makes sense in view of what we know about the stress factor, and about Type As who are inherently highly strung.

He was altogether cold at heart, and yet highly strung with apprehension, as he was shown into the blue drawing-room.

Knowing how highly strung he was, everyone was waiting for him to crack - including me - but this was a different Tom.