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Glite Dictionary
high-keyed

high-keyed

8.3
Easily excited and quickly become anxious
  • adjective
  • /haɪˈkid/
translation icon : muy excitado
  • She is naturally high-keyed, reacting strongly to even small changes in her routine.

Examples

  • His high-keyed temperament made him prone to anxiety in stressful situations.

  • The team was full of high-keyed individuals who thrived on competition.

  • She is a very high-keyed person.

  • His high-keyed nature makes him fun to be around.

  • Her high-keyed personality means she gets excited about every little thing.

  • He tends to be high-keyed, often overreacting to minor issues.

  • The high-keyed crowd at the concert expressed their enthusiasm loudly.

Synonyms

excitable
vshigh-keyed
14 4.1

Quick to become excited or nervous

is a stronger, more easily agitated form of that general tendency
high-strung
vshigh-keyed
12 7.2

Being very nervous and easily upset

is similar but highlights excitable agitation rather than only nervous tension
keyed up
vshigh-keyed
3 6.9

Feeling nervous and excited, ready to start

is a personality trait of being easily agitated rather than a short state
highly strung
vshigh-keyed
1 7.4

Someone who is very nervous and easily upset

focuses more on strong excitability and being easily agitated
overexcitable
vshigh-keyed
6.2

To become easily excited and react strongly to small things

is very excitable in general, not only reactive to minor events
hyperexcitable
vshigh-keyed
8.1

Easily excited and likely to react strongly to small sounds or activity

is very excitable but less extreme and not labeled excessive

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

composed
1 4.3

Calm and in control of your feelings during stress

How Excitable

hysterical
  • Informal
163 3.9
high-keyed
8.3
nervous
∞ 1.3
tense
310 3.6
calm
735 1.0

Surface Forms

high-keyed positive

Morphology

high-keyed = high-key (semi-transparent) = high + key + ed

Formed by regular suffixation from 'high-key' + -ed, but the specific idiomatic sense 'very excitable' relies on the idiom 'keyed up' and may not be fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

High-keyed comes from high ('very' or 'up') plus keyed, as in the phrase keyed up, which means 'excited' or 'tense'. So, high-keyed describes someone who is very excitable or easily on edge.