overuse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overuses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overused,
past participle, past
-
overusing
present participle
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overusesimple
-
overusessimple
-
have overusedperfect
-
has overusedperfect
-
am overusingprogressive
-
are overusingprogressive
-
is overusingprogressive
-
have been overusingperfect progressive
-
has been overusingperfect progressive
Past
-
overusedsimple
-
had overusedperfect
-
was overusingprogressive
-
were overusingprogressive
-
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:
He acknowledges that there are some well-established societal downsides to overuse of Meta’s social-media, especially among young people, but he appreciates “at least there’s no cloud in their revenue.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Actors, writers, production staff and movie fans are still resistant to the overuse of AI and defining when and where it is acceptable, so studios are treading lightly, said AI film studio CEO Mooser.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
They also believe younger players need more protection to avoid overuse injuries, although the ATP and WTA already place restrictions on how many senior tournaments teenagers are allowed to play.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
While this growing threat is typically linked to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, new research suggests another factor may also be playing a role: certain weedkillers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
Ifemelu knew the air conditioner had not broken yesterday, it had been broken for much longer, perhaps it had always been broken; still she nodded and said that perhaps it had packed up from overuse.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Any agency that overuses its water allotment would face penalties, which it would pass on to its customers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
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
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
It’s always dumb little things—phrases he overuses, foods he won’t eat, socks on the floor, too much football.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2016
Starmer's allies say the best thing to do is to be better, move faster, govern more effectively, and to show voters "the change" - the most overused, ill-defined couple of words in politics.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
The bot and the baby know nothing of the world it describes, besides a handful of overused jargon that, like anything, loses its meaning if repeated enough times.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
But they can certainly be overused by casual consumers — so much so that the apps become a bad habit.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2026
Inappropriately invoking an overused parable might make Mr. Carney sound clever, but it shows a lack of deep thinking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
They may be overused, and often they are badly used, but that does not mean they should not be used at all.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
“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
The "typical" couple criticise their surroundings "without malice", Fabcaro said, including the low retirement age in Lusitania -- "a little nod to our times", said the screenwriter, adding that he avoids overusing the tactic.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
