overtax

[ oh-ver-taks ]

/ ˌoʊ vərˈtæks /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR overtax ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to tax too heavily.

to make too great demands on.

Nearby words

oversupply, overswing, overt, overtake, overtask, overtax, overthink, overthrow, overthrust, overthrust belt, overtime

Origin of overtax

First recorded in 1640–50; over- + tax

Related forms

o·ver·tax·a·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for overtax

It would be easy to overtax our attention by going into too wide a field.
Sermons|Clement Bailhache
We must also provide that the tasks intrusted to the new political apparatus do not overtax its untried strength.
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885|Charles Royle
Henry, anxious lest his father should overtax his strength, sat at the foot of the bed.
Changing Winds|St. John G. Ervine
As to the second class, they are quite liable to overtax the mind with the burthen of their business.
Two Years and Four Months in a Lunatic Asylum|Hiram Chase

"The reading seems to overtax your strength," said the woman giggling.
The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume II (of 2)|Alexandre Dumas pre

British Dictionary definitions for overtax

overtax

/ (ˌəʊvəˈtæks) /

verb (tr)

to tax too heavily

to impose too great a strain on

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012