Word
overwork
Phoneticsover·work
/ˌoʊvɝˈwɝk/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. too much work, or working too hard, until you feel very tired or ill.
n. excessive work beyond physical or mental limits, causing fatigue and poorer performance.
Examples
“Overwork makes him tired every evening.”
“Her doctor says her headaches come from months of overwork and too little sleep.”
“After years of relentless overwork, he finally recognised that constant exhaustion had dulled both his judgement and his enjoyment of the job he once loved.”
Examples
simple
“Overwork makes him tired every evening.”
contextual
“Her doctor says her headaches come from months of overwork and too little sleep.”
complex
“After years of relentless overwork, he finally recognised that constant exhaustion had dulled both his judgement and his enjoyment of the job he once loved.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “overwork” in context.
Verb
01. avoid overwork
“Managers should plan shifts carefully to avoid overwork.”
verb + noun
02. complain of overwork
“Staff began to complain of overwork and constant pressure.”
verb + prep + noun
03. die from overwork
“The report claimed he died from overwork after months without a day off.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
04. chronic overwork
“Years of chronic overwork left him exhausted and unable to sleep at night.”
adj + noun
05. constant overwork
“Constant overwork made the whole team irritable and less productive.”
adj + noun
06. extreme overwork
“Extreme overwork during harvest season left many farm workers ill.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. culture of overwork
“The company is trying to end its toxic culture of overwork.”
noun + prep + noun
08. death from overwork
“The inquiry linked his death from overwork to 100-hour weeks.”
noun + prep + noun
09. effects of overwork
“She gave a talk on the physical effects of overwork.”
noun + prep + noun
10. a culture of overwork
“Long hours and weekend emails created a culture of overwork in the firm.”
11. collapse from sheer overwork
“After three night shifts, the nurse collapsed from sheer overwork.”
12. die from sheer overwork
“He worked 80-hour weeks and nearly died from sheer overwork.”
Real-World Examples
“A culture of overwork does not enhance effectiveness; it leads to illness.” “For cabin crews, the peak travel season has turned into a chronic battle involving frequent delays, overwork and unruly passengers that leaves them feeling battered by the public and the airlines.” Etymology
From Middle English overwerken, possibly from Old English oferwyrċan (“to overwork, overlay”), equivalent to over- + work. Cognate with Dutch overwerken (“to overwork”).
From Middle English overwerc, from Old English oferweorc, oferġeweorc (“an overwork, superstructure, tomb”), equivalent to over- + work.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/overwork