overwork
verb
over·work
ˌō-vər-ˈwərk 
overworked; overworking; overworks
1
: to cause to work too hard, too long, or to exhaustion
overworked the horses
2
a
: to work too much on
overwork bread dough
b
: to make excessive use of
overworked tunes
: to work too much or too long : overdo
overwork
noun
Examples of overwork in a Sentence
The whole crew seemed exhausted, probably from overworking.
The captain routinely overworked the crew.
He overworks the melody in the song.
If you overwork the dough, the bread will be tough.
Recent Examples on the Web
Freshen Shoes The next time your stinky sneakers and overworked sock shoes need freshening, fight those unpleasant odors with paper towels.
—
Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Most were far from home, overworked and exhausted while receiving no pay in the midst of a prolonged government shutdown.
—Keith Wilson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Lesley is the only other baker who struggles, with Prue saying that there is too much lemon curd, and Paul saying that her pastry is overworked and too thick, which is something that my husband says about me at least once a week.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The shortages have impacted 911 call response times and have left officers feeling burdened and overworked, often having to sacrifice personal time to cover events and political rallies, Redford has said in previous interviews with The Charlotte Observer.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Most were far from home, overworked and exhausted while receiving no pay in the midst of a prolonged government shutdown.
—Keith Wilson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Lesley is the only other baker who struggles, with Prue saying that there is too much lemon curd, and Paul saying that her pastry is overworked and too thick, which is something that my husband says about me at least once a week.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The shortages have impacted 911 call response times and have left officers feeling burdened and overworked, often having to sacrifice personal time to cover events and political rallies, Redford has said in previous interviews with The Charlotte Observer.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwork
Cite this Entry
“Overwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwork. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overwork
verb
over·work
-ˈwərk
1
: to work or cause to work too hard or long
overworked the crew
2
: to use too much
overworked phrases
overwork
noun
Medical Definition
overwork
transitive verb
over·work
ˌō-vər-ˈwərk
: to cause to work too hard, too long, or to exhaustion
: to work too much or too long
overwork
noun
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