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

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

The exploitation includes underpaying, overworking, and taking advantage of a lack of knowledge about the U.S. legal system, Price said. —Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 16 Jan. 2025

We are overworked, underpaid, without adequate time to plan, prepare, or be available for our students. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 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