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

East Carolina overworked left-hander Ethan Norby (4) in 2025 and 2026, which would be bad for any arm but is worse for a smaller guy like him. — Keith Law, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Close the blinds and avoid using the oven or dryer during the hottest part of the day to keep the AC from overworking. — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 15 July 2026

Use 85% lean ground beef for juicy burgers, avoid overworking the meat, and form patties with a shallow center dimple. — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2026

There are regulations in place so that cabin crews aren’t overworked and exhausted. — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 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