over·use
ˌō-vər-ˈyüz 
overused; overusing
: to use (something) too much : to use (something) excessively or too frequently
a word that has been greatly overused
At best, gatekeepers can keep everyone from overusing costly high-tech treatments when primary care is enough.—
Marilyn Chase
Marilyn Chase
over·use
ˌō-vər-ˈyüs
: too much use : excessive or too frequent use
the overuse of antibiotics
athletes suffering from overuse injuries
His overuse of four-letter words—often a dozen per page—may accurately mirror a macho world where cussing is cool, but it is tedious to read.—Frederick Kaufman
Frederick Kaufman
Examples of overuse in a Sentence
Verb
she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws
Recent Examples on the Web
Merve Ceylan, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
Third, for overusing fracking water from aquifers that ranchers depend on in semi-desert regions of the country, such as New Mexico.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Unlike Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which burned out in primetime because of overuse (but found a loyal audience for a number of years in daytime syndication), Greed was abruptly canceled by Fox after just one season for reasons unknown to this writer.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Verb
Before adding another one, remember that overusing them can cause health and skin problems in the long term.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 4 Nov. 2024
Third, for overusing fracking water from aquifers that ranchers depend on in semi-desert regions of the country, such as New Mexico.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
Arizona’s yearly deliveries from the Colorado River, which makes up roughly 40% of Phoenix’s water supply, are becoming harder to predict as states figure out how to manage lower flows and overuse.
—Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Unlike Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which burned out in primetime because of overuse (but found a loyal audience for a number of years in daytime syndication), Greed was abruptly canceled by Fox after just one season for reasons unknown to this writer.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overuse
Dictionary Entries Near overuse
Cite this Entry
“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overuse. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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