overuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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overuses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overused,
past participle, past
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overusing
present participle
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overusesimple
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overusessimple
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have overusedperfect
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has overusedperfect
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am overusingprogressive
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are overusingprogressive
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is overusingprogressive
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have been overusingperfect progressive
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has been overusingperfect progressive
Past
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overusedsimple
-
had overusedperfect
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was overusingprogressive
-
were overusingprogressive
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had been overusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overuse
Explanation
To overuse something is to use it too much. If you use your cell phone way too often, texting your friends all day long and playing online Scrabble all night, you overuse it. You'll drive your English teacher crazy if you overuse the word like, and you'll rack up all kinds of extra fees if you overuse your iPad. Overuse is also a noun (with a slightly different pronunciation, just as the noun use sounds different from the verb use) — extravagant or excessive use is overuse. The world's overuse of fossil fuels contributes to the rapid warming of the planet.
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:
Dr Kently says he's seen an exponential rise in a condition called perioral dermatitis in teens, which is related to the overuse of ingredients that strip skin barriers like exfoliating hydroxy acids and retinoids.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
To prevent overuse, it automatically shuts off after 20 minutes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
And after seeing many young pitchers, some still in their teens, undergo the surgery named for him, he spoke out against arm overuse, recommending less than year-round pitching by young arms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
But even then, other people’s AI overuse could become an issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Is it from overuse and oversimplification, like the way irie is taught to tourists at Jamaican resorts?
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
She also overuses Bartleby the Scrivener’s line, “I would prefer not to.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
For this reason, writing that overuses the sentence patterns There are .
From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021
"Selena + Chef" is an accessible work about process; "Cooking with Paris" is a show pony when famous guests gush over how influential Hilton used to be while she overuses edible glitter.
From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2021
In the world of the show, Emily is la-di-dah-ing as she overuses Camille on Insta, probably for the cred, while cracking jokes and not thinking about things too much.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2020
He overuses the sidearm slot, but Lock can whip the ball from funky arm angles like few outside of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Matthew Stafford.
From Reuters ● Apr. 22, 2019
To use one of this decade’s most overused words, the outrage seems existential.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
The officer acknowledged the debate around artistic expression, and said the force did not want to "demonise any particular genre of music", adding that the lyrics must not be "overused" in court.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In years past, he said, they overused “kindly,” a word seen in at least one Surfside Beach email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The word authentic is overused, but every time he talks about his love for this state, for his family and wanting to make California work for everyone, it comes across incredibly sincere,” Thoma said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
"I overused my arcana to please her. Now they are forever unbalanced. The proteins are unable to regenerate and keep me beautiful. Our arcana help us maintain ourselves, too. They keep us alive."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
“If you’re overusing AI, that means you’re not doing anything unique as a human in that process, which means you’re going to be even more afraid of AI taking your job,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 11, 2026
I added in the guideline that we shouldn’t sanction an editor just because they start overusing some words or speaking in what’s “seen” as an A.I.-like tone.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026
My own favorite LLM word is liminal, which ChatGPT, when pressed, claims the “culture” started overusing first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
Most flatware is too heavy for her small frame, she says, and also her Pilates instructor had told her to avoid overusing certain arm muscles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2025
The thing about Mr. Grayson’s open-door Babycakes policy was that none of the kids wanted to ruin it by overusing it.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
