overuse

1 of 2

verb

over·​use ˌō-vər-ˈyüz 

overused; overusing

transitive verb

: 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

overuse

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms

Verb

• hackney
• overexpose
• stereotype
• vulgarize

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

Verb

Like always, be gentle and don't apply too much pressure or overuse the ice roller (about 2 minutes on each side of the face is more than enough). —Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 17 June 2024

Outside auditors stayed too long Experts told the Free Press the Conservancy also overused an outside auditing firm that may have lacked needed objectivity. —Violet Ikonomova, Detroit Free Press, 14 June 2024

Noun

But Barclay noted on Substack that his efforts in 2021 failed to convince Facebook that his motivations for developing Unfollow Everything were purely to help people increasingly concerned about their overuse of social media. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 9 May 2024

There is some concern that adding private services at state parks could lead to overuse. —Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

overuse

1 of 2 verb

over·​use

-ˈyüz

: to use too much

an overused phrase

overuse

2 of 2 noun

over·​use

-ˈyüs

: too much use