overburden

1 of 2

verb

over·​bur·​den ˌō-vər-ˈbər-dᵊn How to pronounce overburden (audio)
overburdened; overburdening; overburdens

transitive verb

: to place an excessive burden on

overburden

2 of 2

noun

over·​bur·​den ˈō-vər-ˌbər-dᵊn How to pronounce overburden (audio)
: material overlying a deposit of useful geologic materials or bedrock

Examples of overburden in a Sentence

Verb She overburdened me with work. Why overburden yourself when people are offering to help?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: Increasing density isn’t the solution and could cause unintended consequences, such as overburdening infrastructure, eroding property values and diminishing community character. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025 Some buyers intentionally overburden founders in earnouts, attaching strings to your compensation and making post-sale life miserable. David Berkal, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Noun
However, managing stress during those peak moments of overburden is not always intuitive. Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 22 Jan. 2025 The demand-resource mismatches of burnout, the operational drivers, are substantial and must be addressed: clumsy electronic medical records, understaffing, and administrative overburden, among others. Wendy Dean, STAT, 7 June 2023 See All Example Sentences for overburden

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overburden was in 1532

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overburden. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on overburden

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!