keyed up

English

Etymology

From the phrasal verb key up.

Adjective

keyed up (comparative more keyed up, superlative most keyed up)

1. (colloquial) Nervous; worried.

   She was all keyed up about the interview.

   • 1957 September 13, Walter Bernstein, “The Cherubs Are Rumbling”, in The New Yorker‎, archived from the original on 18 February 2024:

     One trouble, he explained, is that dope pushers flock to neighborhoods where two gangs are at war, knowing they will find buyers among members of the gangs who are so keyed up that they welcome any kind of relaxation or who are just plain afraid.

Verb

keyed up

1. simple past and past participle of key up