overwork
Americanverb (used with object)
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overworks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overworked,
past participle, past
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overworking
present participle
-
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.
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to work up, stir up, or excite excessively.
to overwork a mob to the verge of frenzy.
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to employ or elaborate to excess.
an appeal for sympathy that has been overworked by many speakers.
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to work or decorate all over; decorate the surface of.
white limestone overworked with inscriptions.
verb (used without object)
-
overworks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overworked,
past participle, past
-
overworking
present participle
noun
-
work beyond one's strength or capacity.
-
extra or excessive work.
verb
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(also intr) to work or cause to work too hard or too long
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to use too much
to overwork an excuse
-
to decorate the surface of
-
to work up
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overworksimple
-
overworkssimple
-
have overworkedperfect
-
has overworkedperfect
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am overworkingprogressive
-
are overworkingprogressive
-
is overworkingprogressive
-
have been overworkingperfect progressive
-
has been overworkingperfect progressive
Past
-
overworkedsimple
-
had overworkedperfect
-
was overworkingprogressive
-
were overworkingprogressive
-
had been overworkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overwork
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
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:
The state-run insurer that covers healthcare for workers, Comwel, blamed his death on overwork following an investigation.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In an economy with limited well-paying jobs, many have rejected societal pressures to overwork or have stopped working completely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
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
When leaders insist that AI will double productivity, employees often overwork to fulfill that prophecy.
From Barron's ● Dec. 30, 2025
He hid out for two weeks, and when he finally did return, murder had sunk back to simple anger and he paid his penalty in overwork and a false theatrical humility.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
But based on a screenplay by a trio of Western writers and directed by Polish filmmaker Tomasz Bagiński, it quickly stumbles into narrative contrivances as it incessantly overworks certain emotional beats.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2023
Even when she overworks some crass jokes, Plaza amuses.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2023
In its place, Lunenfeld overworks a flimsy metaphor, tenuously mapping the alchemical elements of earth, air, fire, water and aether onto his 11 chapters.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2020
This creates an imbalance and overworks the holding midfielder Luiz Gustavo, thus impacting on the center halves, who are exposed by their own lack of speed and mobility.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 19, 2017
That is, within limits, for, when a man overworks as continually as Jim had done, no paradise sleep nor balsam air can turn him right perpetually.
From The Mascot of Sweet Briar Gulch by F. Graham Cootes
But the sight gag nature of the characterization is overworked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Tuchel's selection of attack-minded pair Bellingham and Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers brought its rewards, but also left England exposed, leaving Elliot Anderson overworked and over-run in central midfield, through no fault of his own.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The social contract tends to look favorably on big institutions like hospitals, which often have overworked staff working under extremely stressful conditions, reaching out for donations to help raise funds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
These unnecessary preventative measures aren’t just a nuisance for the consumer; they’re a hassle for the overworked, underpaid employee who spends their shift telling customers, “No, we don’t have more of that in the back.”
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
Since the holes were in no great demand, he could dig them and fill them up at a leisurely pace, and he was seldom overworked.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
It’s very much about overworking and being productive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
That’s a stark contrast with Shein, which has been accused of overworking and underpaying its workers and of being a massive industry polluter.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
Fans suspect that by “streamlining,” execs mean that they’re working on ways to integrate AI, which wouldn’t be a shock considering Marvel’s reputation for overworking its effects teams.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
"This suggests cells may be overworking early in the illness, which could lead to longer-term problems," Dr. Varela said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026
“I’ve been overworking you, and it’s not fair,” Mami said, stuffing a tip in the young woman’s pocket and practically pushing her out the door.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
