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
The situation wasn’t helped by Slot not trusting those on the fringes like Wataru Endo, Federico Chiesa or Gomez to start games as the same personnel were overworked and fatigue set in.
—
James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
My brand is geared toward a consumer who appreciates individuality and quality but doesn’t want anything too loud or overworked, even the larger pieces are relatively understated which allows the stones to shine.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Bolerjack says that his camera shows first-hand what happened, including an exhausted and overworked Lee being carted around to various signings and appearances.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
At the same time, many people are simultaneously overworked, overstimulated, under-recovered, and increasingly disconnected from basic biological rhythms like sunlight exposure, restorative sleep, physical movement, and nervous system regulation.
—Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
My brand is geared toward a consumer who appreciates individuality and quality but doesn’t want anything too loud or overworked, even the larger pieces are relatively understated which allows the stones to shine.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Bolerjack says that his camera shows first-hand what happened, including an exhausted and overworked Lee being carted around to various signings and appearances.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
At the same time, many people are simultaneously overworked, overstimulated, under-recovered, and increasingly disconnected from basic biological rhythms like sunlight exposure, restorative sleep, physical movement, and nervous system regulation.
—Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwork
Cite this Entry
“Overwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwork. Accessed 1 Jun. 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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