overdrive

noun

over·​drive ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv 

1

: an automotive transmission gear that transmits to the drive shaft a speed greater than engine speed

2

: a state of heightened activity

going into rhetorical overdrive

Examples of overdrive in a Sentence

He put the car into overdrive.

His acting career is in overdrive.

The reporters went into overdrive to finish their stories on time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nevertheless, 2022’s Scream, revs the engine of the Scream 4, then hauls it in overdrive when more murderous mayhem storms through Woodsboro. — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026

The 2026 Iowa State Fair has put its pursuit of the all-time record attendance into overdrive. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 23 Aug. 2026

The appeal seems to be in slowing down and finding something soothing in a world where algorithms drown out personal tastes and push alerts send our nervous systems into overdrive. — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 14 Aug. 2026

Then suddenly — as if someone flipped the speed on the turntable from 33 1/3 to 45 rpm — the tune just went into massive overdrive, sounding nothing like you would have heard from the Dead. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overdrive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• khedive
• revive
• survive
• dive

Kids Definition

overdrive

noun

over·​drive ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv 

: a transmission gear in an automobile that allows the drive shaft to operate at a speed greater than that of the engine crankshaft