overstress

1 of 2

verb

over·​stress ˌō-vər-ˈstres 

overstressed; overstressing

transitive verb

: to stress (someone or something) excessively: such as

a

: to subject (someone or something) to excessive physical or psychological stress

overstressed himself with too many commitments

… workers often overstress their muscles and tissues to the point where they become inflamed …

—Predicasts Technology Update

… the alternate action of the wind on either side of the church overstressed the intermediate external pillar, which failed.

—Mario Salvadori

b

: to place too much emphasis on (something) : overemphasize

overstress the possibility of an unlikely problem

The importance of this point can't be overstressed. = I can't overstress the importance of this point.

overstressed

ˌō-vər-ˈstrest 

adjective

feeling tired and overstressed

overstress

2 of 2

noun

over·​stress ˈō-vər-ˌstres 

: an excessive amount of physical or psychological stress

overstress on a building's supports

He learned a short left leg had resulted in overstress on the right foot.

—Hillary Gavan

While a certain level of stress can increase productivity, overstress causes us—at a deep, biological level—to start making choices that are unwise, unsafe, and even unethical.

—Brian Whetten

Examples of overstress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Powell’s threading a tricky needle—the housing market is a big driver of the domestic economy, and overstressing it by keeping interest rates high for too long could threaten the rest of the economy. —Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024

What was the easiest way to break a sweat without overstressing your already-beleaguered mind and body? —Ashley Mateo, SELF, 31 Oct. 2023

Comparisons with the past might only depress you, or worse, mislead you into overstressing. —Roger Robinson, Outside Online, 14 Jan. 2021

Don't overstress yourself Work in teams of two or more people to move heavy objects. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023

This racist phenomenon has been coined patanking by Indian-American actress Sakina Jaffrey—the blending of thousands of dialects into one accent by overstressing certain syllables or exchanging vs and ws. —Isha Sharma, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 May 2023

While minor discrepancies may be NBD, significant gaps can lead to injury since the stronger side can overstress itself by taking on too much work for the weak side. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 12 Nov. 2022

Unsurprisingly, two-thirds of working parents (pdf) report feeling exhausted and overstressed. —Anna Oakes, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2023

Cross-train to incorporate movement that doesn’t overstress your body. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 5 Apr. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1872, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above