# overtime

/ˈoʊvɝˌtaɪm/ (US) · /ˈəʊvətˌaɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/overtime
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extra work hours

noun · CEFR B1

time that you spend working at your job in addition to your normal working hours.

For teachers: time worked in addition to one's regular or scheduled working hours. Uncountable in this sense.

- I have been working a lot of overtime lately to finish the project before the deadline.
- The department was forced to authorize significant overtime to ensure the software migration was completed before the Monday morning shift began.

### 2. extra pay

noun · CEFR B2

the extra money you are paid for working more than your usual hours.

For teachers: the rate of pay, typically higher than the standard hourly wage, for work performed beyond regular hours.

- The company pays time-and-a-half as overtime for anyone working on a Sunday.
- The union negotiated a contract that guarantees double-time overtime for any shifts exceeding twelve consecutive hours.

### 3. extra period in sports

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

an extra period of play in a game when the score is tied at the end of regular time.

For teachers: an additional period of play used to determine a winner when a contest ends in a draw after regulation time.

- The basketball game was so close that it went into overtime.
- After a scoreless fourth quarter, the championship was decided in a dramatic overtime period that lasted less than three minutes.

### 4. working extra

adverb · CEFR B2

working for a longer time than is usually required.

For teachers: in a manner that exceeds regular or standard working hours.

- The factory had to work overtime to meet the sudden increase in orders.
- The medical staff worked overtime throughout the weekend to manage the influx of patients following the local emergency.

## Examples

- The basketball game went into overtime after a last-second shot.
- Both teams were exhausted after playing two periods of overtime without scoring a winning goal.
- Despite a dominant performance in the first half, the home team struggled to maintain their defensive structure during the high-pressure environment of sudden-death overtime.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.