overwork

verb

over·​work ˌō-vər-ˈwərk 

overworked; overworking; overworks

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: 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

Trauma may be overworked as a theme and a narrative device, but Victor’s subject here isn’t trauma, per se, so much as the manner in which it is processed, talked about, and not talked about. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Avoid overworking yourself before a trip, and while traveling, maintain healthy routines and good hygiene. —Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 28 Dec. 2024

This can especially be true for Black women who are often overworked, overlooked, and underpaid. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025

All are overworked, because of a long history of overburdening and underpaying a workforce that is mostly seasonal. —Jay Balagna, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids 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

intransitive verb

: to work too much or too long

overwork noun