overwork

verb

over·​work ˌō-vər-ˈwərk 

overworked; overworking; overworks

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: 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

Aim for short sessions of gentle stetching each day to avoid overworking your joints. — Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 24 June 2026

Animal welfare activists have long said the carriage horses are overworked, can get easily spooked on city streets and live in inadequate stables while their drivers regularly flout city rules. — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Gripping something too hard can overwork your forearm muscles as well. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

The aftermath of the heist sparked multiple partial closures, delayed openings, and staff strikes this past December and January, with staff saying they are overworked and understaffed and that the museum needed greater investment in its infrastructure. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for overwork

• bodywork
• handiwork
• ironwork
• latticework
• masterwork
• metalwork
• needlework
• openwork
• paperwork
• subnetwork
• telework
• artwork

Kids 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

intransitive verb

: to work too much or too long

overwork noun