overzealous

adjective

over·​zeal·​ous ˌō-vər-ˈze-ləs 

: 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

Though her screen time is relatively brief, Moore stands out for her comedic contributions as an overzealous recent convert to Judaism. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025

These first-week numbers prove that, despite what the most overzealous observers say, Drake’s career is far from dead. —Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025

Of particular concern is the overzealous use of potent disinfectants that kill 99% of common bacteria. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025

The sushi bar is where the Chinese American brand (which the Panda restaurants have so painstakingly worked to establish) gets muddled in an overzealous play at fusion. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overzealous

• bellis
• felis
• fellas
• jealous
• pelisse
• trellis
• zealous
• michaelis
• nucellus
• ocellus