Overzealous means far keener than the situation calls for. An overzealous official, overzealous enforcement, overzealous cleaning.
It is the polite word for somebody applying a rule with more energy than judgement, and it appears in complaints and apologies for exactly that reason. Overzealous cleaning has destroyed a great many paintings and archaeological finds.
1adjectiveoverzealousFar keener than the situation calls for.
“An overzealous security guard searched every bag, even the children's lunch boxes.”
overzealous is a quality.
Over plus zealous, from zeal, from Greek zelos, ardour or jealousy.
Latin
zēlōsus
Middle English
zelose
English
zealous
English, today
overzealous
Built from
From over- + zealous. From over + zealous. zealous comes from Middle English zelose, from Latin zēlōsus. From Middle English zelose, from Latin zēlōsus, from zēlus + -ōsus, from Ancient Greek ζῆλος (“zeal, jealousy”), from ζηλόω (“to emulate, to be jealous”). by surface analysis, zeal + -ous. a doublet of jealous.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA