overwork

American  

[oh-ver-wurk, oh-ver-wurk] / ˌoʊ vərˈwɜrk, ˈoʊ vərˌwɜrk /

verb (used with object)

overworks, present (3rd person singular) overworked, past participle, past overworking present participle

1. to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively).

   Don't overwork yourself on that new job.

2. to work up, stir up, or excite excessively.

   to overwork a mob to the verge of frenzy.

3. to employ or elaborate to excess.

   an appeal for sympathy that has been overworked by many speakers.

4. to work or decorate all over; decorate the surface of.

   white limestone overworked with inscriptions.

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verb (used without object)

overworks, present (3rd person singular) overworked, past participle, past overworking present participle

1. to work too hard, too much, or too long; work to excess.

   You look as though you've been overworking.

noun

1. work beyond one's strength or capacity.

2. extra or excessive work.

overwork British  

verb

1. (also intr) to work or cause to work too hard or too long

2. to use too much

   to overwork an excuse

3. to decorate the surface of

4. to work up

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noun

1. excessive or excessively tiring work

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overworked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• overworking
  present
• overworked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• overwork
  simple
• overworks
  simple
• have overworked
  perfect
• has overworked
  perfect
• am overworking
  progressive
• are overworking
  progressive
• is overworking
  progressive
• have been overworking
  perfect progressive
• has been overworking
  perfect progressive

Past

• overworked
  simple
• had overworked
  perfect
• was overworking
  progressive
• were overworking
  progressive
• had been overworking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will overwork
  simple
• will have overworked
  perfect
• will be overworking
  progressive
• will have been overworking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of overwork

before 1000; Old English oferwyrcan. See over-, work

Explanation

To overwork someone is to force them to work much too hard. Before working hours were regulated in the 1930s, it was more common for bosses to overwork their employees. If your family owns a farm, you may feel that your parents overwork you all summer until you go back to school in the fall — but there are much more serious cases of employers who overwork their laborers in countries where things like work hours and minimum wage aren't mandated by law. You can use overwork as a noun, too, to mean working too hard or too long: "Overwork made her cranky and tired all the time."

Example Sentences

However, extended periods of overwork had the opposite impact, lowering mental sharpness and making it harder to stay productive.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

UFO contends that there has not been enough progress made on issues such as "avoiding overwork" and lengthening redundancy notice periods.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Her family had owned a restaurant in South Carolina, where she’d grown up, and despite its success, her parents had struggled with debt, overwork and divorce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Without knowing their opponent, the Hoosiers didn’t want to overwork older players.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2025

“Help yourself, Tom,” said Hepzibah, “I know how you love my cakes. Now, how are you? You look pale. They overwork you at that shop, I’ve said it a hundred times...”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling