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
So many women are overworked and overstressed and on the verge of collective burnout.
—
Audrey Ingram, People.com, 3 June 2025
Their temporary electronic face tattoo, or e-tattoo, can read brain waves and not only detect when the ol' gray matter is overworked, but also predict when exhaustion is approaching.
—Paul McClure 29, New Atlas, 29 May 2025
Many of their star performers were overworked, in part due to poor feedback loops with leadership, lack of strong team communication and an overall hesitancy to name workload imbalances.
—Woodrie Burich, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Elsewhere, several elaborate comic setpieces feel strained and overworked, throwing ever more secondary figures and complications on screen to make up for a lack of underlying urgency and momentum.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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Audrey Ingram, People.com, 3 June 2025
Their temporary electronic face tattoo, or e-tattoo, can read brain waves and not only detect when the ol' gray matter is overworked, but also predict when exhaustion is approaching.
—Paul McClure 29, New Atlas, 29 May 2025
Many of their star performers were overworked, in part due to poor feedback loops with leadership, lack of strong team communication and an overall hesitancy to name workload imbalances.
—Woodrie Burich, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Elsewhere, several elaborate comic setpieces feel strained and overworked, throwing ever more secondary figures and complications on screen to make up for a lack of underlying urgency and momentum.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 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 6 Jun. 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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