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
Such conditions can lead to situations where an unscrupulous employer overworks their laborers or withholds pay, for instance.
—
Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Often overworked and underpaid, frontline employees are feeling pushed to the brink.
—Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
What Exactly Is Your Core? Often, core work focuses on building the vanity muscles of the six-pack (also known as the rectus abdominis) through crunches, which can overwork the hip flexors and lead to neck and lower back discomfort.
—Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 25 Oct. 2024
Repeating certain facial expressions could overwork some muscles and lead to skin folding and worsen the appearance of wrinkles in between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, and crow’s feet, Zeichner says.
—Erica Sweeney, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwork 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Often overworked and underpaid, frontline employees are feeling pushed to the brink.
—Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024
What Exactly Is Your Core? Often, core work focuses on building the vanity muscles of the six-pack (also known as the rectus abdominis) through crunches, which can overwork the hip flexors and lead to neck and lower back discomfort.
—Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 25 Oct. 2024
Repeating certain facial expressions could overwork some muscles and lead to skin folding and worsen the appearance of wrinkles in between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, and crow’s feet, Zeichner says.
—Erica Sweeney, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overwork
Dictionary Entries Near overwork
Cite this Entry
“Overwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwork. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share