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
Failing to do so risks perpetuating the threat of infectious diseases, costing lives and overburdening fragile health systems. Peter Sands, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 This has both overburdened her and led to accusations of her growing authoritarianism. Tej Parikh, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2017
Noun
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 Approaches to reduce firearm violence should also be coupled with an investment in addressing social and economic factors such as concentrated poverty and segregation that contribute to an overburden of violence in under-resourced communities. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 31 May 2022 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

Dictionary Entries Near overburden

Cite this Entry

“Overburden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overburden. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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