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Synonyms

overstress

American  
[oh-ver-stres] / ˌoʊ vərˈstrɛs /

verb (used with object)

  1. overemphasize.

  2. to subject to excessive stress or strain.

  3. Mechanics. to stress (a metal or other body) to the point of deformation.


Etymology

Origin of overstress

First recorded in 1915–20; over- + stress


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.

See Examples For:

Sit in the building that originated “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” and you feel a certain pressure to intellectualize your ideas, to overstress your originality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2025

Security Council, “I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point.”

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024

Caldwell’s production is a cut above the original off-Broadway version, which tended to overstress the sitcom mechanics.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 21, 2022

As of earlier this week, less than one-quarter of the hospital’s 115 patients had Covid, but it was enough to overstress an already taxed facility.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2021

It is difficult to overstress the importance of data from stranded cetaceans.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by David Caldwell

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