overburden

1 of 2

verb

over·​bur·​den ˌō-vər-ˈbər-dᵊn How to pronounce overburden (audio)
overburdened; overburdening; overburdens

transitive verb

: to place an excessive burden on

overburden

2 of 2

noun

over·​bur·​den ˈō-vər-ˌbər-dᵊn How to pronounce overburden (audio)
: material overlying a deposit of useful geologic materials or bedrock

Examples of overburden in a Sentence

Verb She overburdened me with work. Why overburden yourself when people are offering to help?
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Then, the rotten cherry on top: my lightweight pack, overburdened with water and ill-equipped for the task, created a patch of chafe that eventually bloomed into an open wound. Shawnté Salabert, Outside Online, 28 Mar. 2025 Betsy Gara, executive director of the Council of Small Towns, also wants the bill to authorize the Siting Council to consider the number of energy facilities already in a community so that no town gets overburdened. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
However, managing stress during those peak moments of overburden is not always intuitive. Jazmine Denise Thompson, Essence, 22 Jan. 2025 The demand-resource mismatches of burnout, the operational drivers, are substantial and must be addressed: clumsy electronic medical records, understaffing, and administrative overburden, among others. Wendy Dean, STAT, 7 June 2023 See All Example Sentences for overburden

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overburden was in 1532

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Cite this Entry

“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overburden. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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