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
Jeremy Swayman played the previous two games but there is no need to overwork him at the moment.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The shimmering, rapturous hook of the title track, for example, packs a euphoric punch, though the song slightly overworks the objects-as-organs imagery.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2026
The shrimp are tender and full of flavor, not overworked or rubbery like so many versions out there.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
If your quads are already overworked and tight, that can certainly contribute to knee pain.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The shimmering, rapturous hook of the title track, for example, packs a euphoric punch, though the song slightly overworks the objects-as-organs imagery.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2026
The shrimp are tender and full of flavor, not overworked or rubbery like so many versions out there.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
If your quads are already overworked and tight, that can certainly contribute to knee pain.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 24 Dec. 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 21 Jan. 2026.
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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