overzealous

adjective

over·​zeal·​ous ˌō-vər-ˈze-ləs How to pronounce overzealous (audio)
: too zealous : having or showing too much zeal : excessively eager, enthusiastic, or fervent
overzealous parents
overzealous workers
… another version of the overzealous monitoring that has produced kids who leave for college without ever having crossed the street by themselves.Peggy Orenstein
The village saw the orders as unwarranted interference from an overzealous state bureaucracy and promptly appealed.Joe Treen and S. Avery Brown
overzealously adverb
… has been frequently accused by its critics of acting recklessly, overzealously, and even, at times, illegally. Steve Lustgarden
overzealousness noun
Jewell was annoyed that press descriptions of him always emphasized his "overzealousness"; he considers himself a man of details. Marie Brenner

Examples of overzealous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Grab the advantage and use the time to pull out unwanted weeds and thin overzealous seedlings. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2024 Some of the photos from previous treks went viral à la Chris Brown with fan’s overzealous requests. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2024 There aren't any additional optional extras except for colour. Safety Thankfully, its safety systems aren't overzealous. Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 But becoming overzealous about results can eat away at kids’ mental strength because so many factors besides effort can influence the outcome. Scott Mautz, Contributor, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for overzealous 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overzealous was circa 1628

Dictionary Entries Near overzealous

Cite this Entry

“Overzealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overzealous. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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