overwork

verb

over·​work ˌō-vər-ˈwərk 

overworked; overworking; overworks

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: 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

Beta cells become stressed when overworked or exposed to harmful conditions. —Angelica P. Ahrens, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026

Everyone’s overworked, every section is understaffed, every stress level is in the red, every institutional system seems on the verge of very its own implosion. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026

Some muscles can become tight and overworked, while others become weak. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 17 Apr. 2026

Maybe you’re overworked, burned out or realizing your current system just isn’t sustainable. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for overwork

• bodywork
• handiwork
• ironwork
• latticework
• masterwork
• metalwork
• needlework
• openwork
• paperwork
• subnetwork
• artwork
• beadwork

Kids 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

intransitive verb

: to work too much or too long

overwork noun