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)
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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
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overworksimple
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overworkssimple
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have overworkedperfect
-
has overworkedperfect
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am overworkingprogressive
-
are overworkingprogressive
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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:
Some industry officials worried that the glitch could overwork Boeing 737 MAX pilots during a certain landing scenario, but the federal regulators decided it wasn’t a safety issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Now, the Dodgers are carrying three catchers, trying not to overwork Smith in his first weeks back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
She says it was on her to prove that her son had died from overwork, and Coupang was obligated to provide records, including security camera footage, to Comwel, but not her.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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
“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
Even when she overworks some crass jokes, Plaza amuses.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2023
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
The show, by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, with incidental original music and lyrics by Randy Courts and St. Germain, respectively, seems a cynically conceived crowd-pleaser that overworks its somewhat tired central premise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2015
Ms. Coleman, a freelance writer, overworks the foreshadowing and omen-dropping, but she manages to weave a lot of real suspense into the question of what type of destruction is in the offing.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2011
If she attempts it, as she does sometimes—she overworks, and a breakdown is the result.
From Quit Your Worrying! by George Wharton James
People with asthma and other respiratory conditions face serious health risks under reduced and overworked health services.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
I asked my dad how he did it, and he said: “The maitre d’ is a busy man, probably overworked and underpaid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Beyond the talk about medical diagnosis, the case has also kicked off a larger social media conversation about how pressured, isolated and overworked mothers feel.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Whether it was because a threadbare backroom team was overworked, or England's overall attitude was not good enough, Smith was rarely seen doing the hard yards with the gloves on.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
They certainly have a great deal to do and are all overworked day after day.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Like other fast-fashion giants including H&M and Zara, Shein has faced allegations of underpaying and overworking textile workers at its factories.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
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
“I am here so you can rest a little, you poor boy. That woman will start overworking you again once she returns from overseas, as if you are not somebody’s child.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
