overwork
verb (used with object)
to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively).
overworked
-
past participleof overwork.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof overwork.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
overworkverb (used with object)to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively). -
a word derived from
overwork.
overworkverb (used with object)to cause to work too hard, too much, or too long; weary or exhaust with work (often used reflexively).
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.
“I am leaving, leaving, leaving. Another nurse, another good-hearted overworked soul in white will take over: night shift. And then tomorrow morning I’ll be back.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 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
Looking back, she remembers not one tragedy but many folded into one: parents searching for children, students healing from injuries, her overworked staff and families awaiting DNA results.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 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
Their faces seemed so old, so dark, calling forth overworked cliches about the earth and the sky and the wind.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
