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
In interviews with administrators, heads of schools, instructional coaches, principals and teachers, the Black male educator has signaled feeling outstretched, overworked and undervalued, particularly during a shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
—
Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 15 May 2024
Stevie doesn’t fit in with other kids, his older brother isn’t nice to him, and his mom is, like many single mothers in movies, overworked and time-deprived.
—Chris Bellamy and Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 10 May 2024
The singer clearly was overworked, and her weight, which at one point was 275 pounds, did not help matters.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Start by adding 1/4 cup ice water and tossing the flour mixture gently (rather than stirring) to moisten and incorporate the water without overworking the flour.
—Erin McDowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
Our patrol deputies are understaffed and overworked.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Fungus, mold, and overworked soil in need of revitalizing are all obstacles gardeners face when ramping up the spring garden season.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Underpaid and overworked employees especially took control of a tight labor market to bargain for a better deal.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Where other artists’ images were heavy-handed, overworked, often tediously moralistic, Whistler’s pictures look provisional, disinterested (in the impartial, non-sentimental sense) and (to our eyes) remarkably modern.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 15 May 2024
Stevie doesn’t fit in with other kids, his older brother isn’t nice to him, and his mom is, like many single mothers in movies, overworked and time-deprived.
—Chris Bellamy and Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 10 May 2024
The singer clearly was overworked, and her weight, which at one point was 275 pounds, did not help matters.
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
Start by adding 1/4 cup ice water and tossing the flour mixture gently (rather than stirring) to moisten and incorporate the water without overworking the flour.
—Erin McDowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
Our patrol deputies are understaffed and overworked.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024
Fungus, mold, and overworked soil in need of revitalizing are all obstacles gardeners face when ramping up the spring garden season.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Underpaid and overworked employees especially took control of a tight labor market to bargain for a better deal.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Where other artists’ images were heavy-handed, overworked, often tediously moralistic, Whistler’s pictures look provisional, disinterested (in the impartial, non-sentimental sense) and (to our eyes) remarkably modern.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overwork.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overwork
Cite this Entry
“Overwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwork. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
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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