overused

past tense of overuse
as in popularized
to use so much as to make less appealing she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overused While the analogy may be slightly overused, the challenge is that oil still needs to be refined into a useful end product. Guy Courtin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Although the word ‘hero’ is greatly overused in today’s society, in my mind, Calvin Duncan is a hero in the truest sense of that word. Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 Meanwhile, existing antibiotics have been overused, and resistance has mounted to critical levels. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026 Many detox teas contain laxatives like senna, which can cause side effects like diarrhea, cramping, and bloating if overused. Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026 Baking soda does not make tomatoes sweeter and can harm plants if overused. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 But in science, they have been especially overused. Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026 Turning Up the Heat Too High Too Fast High heat has its place, but it is often overused. Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026 Rights groups warn the measure, introduced in March 2025, is now being overused by authorities. ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
  • Imai had pitched twice in the previous 19 days, occupying a roster spot while leaving his fellow relievers overexposed.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • While some use leverage strategically, many are overexposed, risking severe losses when markets inevitably correct, proving even good ideas can fail without surviving volatility.
    Andrew Graham, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Social Security’s retirement trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2032, with the combined retirement and disability trust funds exhausted by around 2033 or 2034.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The result was a landscape repeatedly cleared and exhausted for cotton and other cash crops.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But cultural myths and urban legends have also stereotyped them into Halloween mascots, demonic beings and carriers of diseases.
    Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For every identity that is stereotyped or marginalized in mainstream pop culture, there are thousands, if not millions, of very different people whose individuality gets erased in the process.
    Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Needless to say, Parker and Stone quickly got bored with the subject, adding a subplot that saw Obama teaming up with his apparent nemesis John McCain to dig a tunnel from the Oval Office to the Smithsonian and steal the Hope Diamond.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The popular Korean drama Flex X Cop, whose full first season and episode one of season two drop on August 7, centers on Jin I-soo, who is an immature heir to a massive company and is bored with his job.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster