overwork
verb
over·work
ˌō-vər-ˈwərk 
overworked; overworking; overworks
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
: 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
Mass layoffs of public-sector cybersecurity professionals are especially problematic since the broader industry is overworked and understaffed.
—
Megan Morrone, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
And sometimes employers and managers have a hand in encouraging employees to get stuck in a cycle of overworking and neglecting their personal needs.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for overwork
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Megan Morrone, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
And sometimes employers and managers have a hand in encouraging employees to get stuck in a cycle of overworking and neglecting their personal needs.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for overwork
Cite this Entry
“Overwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwork. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
: to work too much or too long
overwork
noun
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