overdrive

American  

[oh-ver-drahyv, oh-ver-drahyv] / ˌoʊ vərˈdraɪv, ˈoʊ vərˌdraɪv /

verb (used with object)

overdrove, overdriven, overdriving

1. to push or carry to excess; overwork.

2. to drive too hard.

---

noun

1. Machinery, Automotive. a device containing a gear set at such ratio and arrangement as to provide a drive shaft speed greater than the engine crankshaft speed.

2. Also called hyperdrive.  Informal. a state of intense activity or productivity.

   The political campaign has shifted into overdrive.

overdrive British  

noun

1. a very high gear in a motor vehicle used at high speeds to reduce wear and save fuel

2. in a state of intense activity

3. into a state of intense activity

---

verb

1. (tr) to drive too hard or too far; overwork or overuse

Etymology

Origin of overdrive

First recorded before 950; Middle English overdriven “to cover over, overpower”; Old English oferdrīfan “to drive away, overthrow”; equivalent to over- ( def. ) + drive ( def. )

Example Sentences

Discussion about LIV's future went into overdrive on Wednesday as the tour prepared for its latest event in Mexico.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The price of sulfur was climbing well before the Iran war kicked things into overdrive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

And now the spin machine has kicked into overdrive.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Becoming the No. 1 LNG exporter in the world in relative short order is thanks in large part to U.S. shale production that went into overdrive in the mid-2000s.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Complaining that “the Chicago people” were muscling in on his match race, Swope went into overdrive.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand