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
Stressful days, late nights and feeling overworked are direct routes to the job boards, especially if that hard work isn’t recognized (see above).
—
Steve Sonnenberg, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
During the first few months of its contract, Falck was criticized for not operating enough ambulances and overworking employees.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
On top of the possibility of your compressor overworking and breaking down prematurely, dirty coils can also lead to higher temperatures.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 June 2025
The result is overworked and overwhelmed adults, AND underserved students.
—Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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Steve Sonnenberg, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
During the first few months of its contract, Falck was criticized for not operating enough ambulances and overworking employees.
—Adam Summers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2025
On top of the possibility of your compressor overworking and breaking down prematurely, dirty coils can also lead to higher temperatures.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 June 2025
The result is overworked and overwhelmed adults, AND underserved students.
—Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 27 May 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 23 Jul. 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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