overwork

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English overwerken, possibly from Old English oferwyrċan (“to overwork, overlay”), equivalent to over- +‎ work. Cognate with Dutch overwerken (“to overwork”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: ō'və-wûkʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvəˈwɜːk/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: ō'vər-wûrkʹ, IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈwɝk/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k

Verb

overwork (third-person singular simple present overworks, present participle overworking, simple past and past participle overworked or overwrought)

1. (transitive) To make (someone) work too hard.

   to overwork a horse

2. (intransitive) To work too hard.
3. To fill too full of work; to crowd with labour.
   • 1874, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Aigalades

     My days with toil are overwrought.

4. To decorate all over.

Translations

to work too hard

• Bulgarian: преуморявам се (preumorjavam se)
• Czech: přepracovat se
• German: sich überarbeiten (de)

• Polish: przepracowywać się
• Russian: перетружда́ться (ru) impf (peretruždátʹsja), перетруди́ться (ru) pf (peretrudítʹsja)

Etymology 2

From Middle English overwerc, from Old English oferweorc, oferġeweorc (“an overwork, superstructure, tomb”), equivalent to over- +‎ work.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: ōʹvə-wûk', IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvəˌwɜːk/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: ōʹvər-wûrk', IPA^(key): /ˈoʊvɚˌwɝk/

Noun

overwork (uncountable)

1. a superstructure
2. excessive work
   • 1878, Phosphorus in functional disorders of the nervous system, induced by overwork and other influences incidental to modern life

     Various disordered conditions consequent upon overwork, which are characteristic of modern civilisation.

   • 1996, Wilkie Au, Urgings of the Heart: A Spirituality of Integration:

     When it comes to overwork, denial looms large.

   • 2003, Ernie J Zelinski, Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked:

     The Japanese term for sudden death from overwork.

Translations

excessive work

• Bulgarian: преумора (bg) f (preumora)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 過勞 (zh) (guòláo), 过劳 (zh) (guòláo)

• French: surmenage (fr) m
• Japanese: 過労 (ja) (かろう, karō)

• Korean: 과로 (ko) (gwaro) (過勞 (ko))
• Polish: przepracowanie (pl) n
• Russian: перетру́живание n (peretrúživanije)

See also

• overtime

Further reading

• overwork in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• overwork in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• work over, workover