karoshi
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of karoshi
First recorded in 1985–90; from Japanese karōshi, literally, “overwork death,” equivalent to ka- “excess” + rō “work” + shi “death”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That was because exceeding that threshold can increase risks for so-called "karoshi", or deaths from overwork, a labour ministry official told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
She mentions the Japanese word karoshi, a term that means death from overwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2024
In Japan, where long work hours are also commonplace, there’s a word for dying from the stress of overwork: karoshi.
From Slate ● May 24, 2022
Japan has given the world the term karoshi, or death by overwork.
From Economist ● Aug. 2, 2018
Labor unions say the rules prevent abuses and "karoshi", the coined-in-Japan term for death by overwork.
From Reuters ● Jun. 23, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
