overuse
[verb oh-ver-yooz; noun oh-ver-yoos]
- to use too much or too often: to overuse an expression.
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- excessive use: to strain one's voice through overuse.
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Origin of overuse
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
depletionerosiondepreciationoverrateoverplayexaggerateoverstateoverreachovervalueoverestimateoveruseoverdooveremphasizemaximizeexhaustweakenovertaxrubmagnifystretchExamples from the Web for overuse
Contemporary Examples
Obsessive exercising and inadequate nutrition can, over time, put people at high risk for overuse injuries like stress fractures.
Overuse of the word "interesting" reflects the cynical tastes of an information-rich audience.
Our Bodies, Ourselves remains theoretically feminist, of course—even if there is a conscious effort made not to overuse the word.
Instead of creating safer births and healthier moms and babies, our overuse of technology has caused a host of problems.
Your back is starting to ache, fingers locking up from overuse, and right now you truly appreciate the cheesesteak.
Historical Examples
Find synonyms for words which you have a tendency to overuse.
The Style Book of The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
And, not content with this overuse of one particular type of judgment, our critics claim its monopoly.
Essays in Radical EmpiricismWilliam James
To overuse the psionic powers of the human mind is as dangerous as overusing morphine or alcohol.
What The Left Hand Was DoingGordon Randall Garrett
This is a "novicy" kind of diction in which the would-be forcible writer defeats his object by the overuse of expletives.
The VerbalistThomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
A great cause of ill health is overuse of sugar in concentrated form, candy, etc., especially by the sedentary.
How to LiveIrving Fisher and Eugene Fisk
Word Origin and History for overuse
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper