WordGarden.iooverwork
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈəʊvəˌwɜːk/uncountablenoun
US
- /ˌoʊvərˈwɜrk/
Meanings
Noun
too much work or labor
Verb
to work too hard or make someone work too hard
to strain a body part by using it too much
to run a machine or device too hard
Beyond the definition
To overwork means to make yourself, or someone else, work so much that it causes tiredness, stress, or harm. It is more than simply being busy or putting in a few long days. It suggests that the work has gone past a healthy limit and that rest is no longer enough to keep up.
You might overwork yourself while trying to finish a deadline, or a company might overwork its staff by expecting too much for too long. In both cases, the result is often the same: growing strain, falling energy, and, over time, burnout. The word often carries a warning in it, reminding us that hard work can turn damaging when it never lets up.
To overwork means to work too much or to make someone work too much, especially to the point of exhaustion, illness, or reduced well-being. The idea is not just that the hours are long, but that the effort asked of the body or mind has gone beyond what is healthy and sustainable.
The word can describe something a person does to themselves or something done by an employer, manager, family member, or system. A student may overwork herself before exams. A nurse may feel overworked after weeks of extra shifts. A business may be criticized for overworking its employees during a busy season. In each case, the sense is the same: the load is too heavy for too long.
The results of overwork often build slowly. At first, a person may seem productive and determined. Later, the signs become clearer: deep tiredness, stress, mistakes, poor sleep, low mood, or physical pain. That is why the word often appears in conversations about burnout, work-life balance, and fair treatment at work.
In tone, overwork is usually negative. It can suggest pressure, poor limits, or a life that has lost its balance. A story may describe someone who keeps pushing forward out of duty or ambition, only to find that endless effort comes at a cost. In that way, the word carries both the image of hard work and the warning that too much of it can break a person down.
Examples
- 1
Exam preparation
Please don't overwork yourself before the exam.
- 2
Workplace pressure
The manager was accused of overworking the nurses during the winter rush.
- 3
Deadlines
He tends to overwork when a deadline is close, then gets sick afterward.
- 4
Exhaustion
Years of stress and overwork left her completely exhausted.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Baking
Be careful not to overwork the dough, or the cookies will come out tough.
- Domainin baking, overwork dough
mix or handle it too much
- 6
Writing style
The ending of the speech felt overworked, so she cut a few lines.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- overworknounverb
Forms
- overworkedpast tenseverbnoun
- overworking-ing formverbnoun
- overworksverbnoun