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

Chan says the trend probably isn't for daters who have a problem overworking in their relationships. — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 29 June 2026

With the bullpen overworked from a busy week — which featured a doubleheader Wednesday — manager Craig Counsell said Friday wasn’t the time to be aggressive. — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026

In the workplace, shame can look like risk avoidance, disengagement or even overworking to the point where the work suffers. — Dr. Erika Rasure, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Aim for short sessions of gentle stetching each day to avoid overworking your joints. — Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 24 June 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
• telework
• artwork

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