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Suffix · forms adjectives

-strung

Describes how tense someone's nerves are: high-strung (nervous, easily upset) versus loosely-strung (relaxed).

In Spanish: de nervios tensos / tenso / con los nervios a flor de pielLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

What this suffix does

-strung forms compound adjectives that describe the degree of tension in a person's nervous or emotional state, using the metaphor of a strung instrument (like a bow or a stringed instrument). High-strung, tightly-strung, overly-strung, loosely-strung — each compound measures the degree of tension in a person's disposition. "High-strung" is the most common: it describes someone whose nervous system seems stretched to a point of easy reactivity, who responds quickly and intensely to stimulation. The metaphor works because instruments strung too tightly snap or produce shrieking notes; those strung too loosely produce no sound.

How it is formed

Adjective or adverb + strung.

  • high + strung
    high-strung (nervous, easily upset)
  • highly + strung
    highly-strung (very nervous, sensitive)
  • loosely + strung
    loosely-strung (relaxed, untense)

This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.

How it is pronounced

-strung

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -strung
In a phrase
  • highhigh-strungThe high-strung assistant double-checks everything twice.
  • tightlytightly-strungThe tennis racket needs to be tightly-strung.
  • highlyhighly-strungShe's highly-strung before every exam.
  • overoverstrungThe piano sounded off because it was overstrung.
  • looselyloosely-strungThe loosely-strung guitar kept going out of tune.

Common mistakes

high-strung = aggressive or angry
high-strung = nervous and easily reactive, not necessarily aggressive

"High-strung" describes a nervous disposition — a person who reacts quickly and intensely to stimulation, who has a low threshold for stress or anxiety. It does not mean aggressive or angry. A high-strung person may be anxious, easily startled, reactive, or tense — but these are qualities of the nervous system, not of aggression. High-strung people are often sensitive, talented, and intense rather than hostile.

highly-strung and high-strung are different words
highly-strung and high-strung mean the same thing; highly-strung is more common in British English

"Highly-strung" and "high-strung" are variant spellings of the same compound. "High-strung" is the standard American English form; "highly-strung" is more common in British English. Both describe the same quality of nervous reactivity. The choice between them is largely regional rather than semantic.

A trick to remember it

The strung metaphor comes from the tension of a bowstring or the strings of a musical instrument. A string strung too tightly is on the verge of snapping — it vibrates intensely at the slightest touch. A string strung at the right tension produces music; strung too tightly, it breaks or shrieks. "High-strung" people are like over-tensioned strings: they respond intensely to every stimulus, have little slack between stimulus and reaction, and may be brilliant but are often fragile under sustained pressure.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ mare required careful handling — any unexpected noise in the stable could send her into a panic." (having an easily reactive and nervous disposition; not needing much to trigger a strong response)

Hint: High + strung = whose strings (nerves) are strung very tightly; easily reactive.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The tightly-strung atmosphere in the boardroom made every silence feel loaded." What does "tightly-strung" mean here?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ economy had been operating at maximum output for so long that even minor disruptions produced catastrophic effects." (stretched beyond safe levels of tension; under stress that has reached dangerous levels)

Hint: Over + strung = strung beyond safe tension; stretched past the point where the tension is manageable.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -strung mean in English?

The suffix -strung describes how tense someone's nerves are: high-strung (nervous, easily upset) versus loosely-strung (relaxed). In Spanish it usually maps to de nervios tensos / tenso / con los nervios a flor de piel.

Can you give an example of a word with -strung?

"high" becomes "high-strung". It is a typical example of the -strung suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -spirited

    Describes someone's energy or attitude: high-spirited (lively, energetic) and free-spirited (unconventional, independent).

  • -tempered

    Describes someone's emotional character: even-tempered (calm, steady) versus hot-tempered (quick to anger).

  • -willed

    Describes how strong someone's willpower is: strong-willed (determined) versus weak-willed (easily swayed).

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

View all suffixes
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