OVERWORKED Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

overworked 1 of 2

adjective

as in overtaxed

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overworked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of overwork

as in overused

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as in exerted

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Dissimilar Words

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 overworked

Adjective

Returning home allowed Mike to get up and walk without waiting hours for an overworked nurse to unplug a bunch of monitors, and to enjoy real food. — Kim Clark, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Why does almost every punch line feel overworked and underdeveloped? — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026 After Raymond wrapped, Heaton joined actor Kelsey Grammer on Fox's Back to You before finding a new home on the small screen as an overworked mom on ABC's The Middle, which also lasted nine seasons, from 2009 to 2018. — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 The track marks littering his arms suggest a life devoted to a destructive heroin habit, but Amin’s sister is determined to nurse him back to health, even though this only puts more of a burden on the overworked single mother. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026 Political dysfunction has left overworked controllers using outdated equipment. — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 24 Mar. 2026 While the coroner’s report did not establish a connection between the banker’s death and his intense Wall Street workload, his death spurred attention to the long hours and health declines of overworked investment bankers. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026 Despite being born into wealth, Wesley Evers first appears as an overworked public defender who takes issue with cops not following procedure. — Tanya Melendez, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has had to cut flights at major airports to relieve overworked controllers, exposing systemic operational vulnerabilities. — Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for overworked

Adjective

The offense was unproductive, the bullpen exhausted and starters gassed after several extra-inning games and three sticky games against the Cardinals.

— Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Such weapons are proving increasingly difficult for Kyiv to shoot down, with supplies of US Patriot interceptors – one of the few systems capable of taking down ballistic missiles pretty much exhausted.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhausted

Verb

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

Definition of overused

Verb

Will challenges often allege that someone exerted undue influence over the testator or that the testator had diminished mental capacity.

— Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Many lived in company towns, where coal operators owned their homes and stores and ultimately exerted enormous control over their daily lives.

— Katie Angell Britannica Editors Aug. 27, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of exerted

Adjective

My massage therapist said that this serum, derived from Hawaiian comfrey and noni plants infused into rich macadamia nut oil, works to awaken fatigued cells, according to the serum-maker.

— Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Those subjects reported feeling more fatigued and stressed compared to healthy controls.

— Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 2026

Definition of fatigued

Verb

Yaroslav Perepadya has built a life in Davis since fleeing Ukraine with his teenage son after Russia invaded their country in 2022.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Harald was just three years old when German troops invaded Norway forcing his family, along with members of the Norwegian government, to flee to neighboring Sweden.

— James Frater, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of invaded

Verb

Fauci exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times, rather than answer questions about his role in the government’s pandemic response.

— John C. Besley, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Protecting a protocol today means securing not just its code, but also who can control it, how that control is exercised, and the infrastructure and people behind it.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of exercised

Adjective

Pinterest says Gen Z and Millennials are putting their own spins on trends rather than copying them, a sign that visible under-eyes and lived-in finishes could outlast the tired girl label itself.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
The Republican president looks increasingly tired and running out of steam, has not introduced any major new initiatives and could see the political writing on the wall.

— Joe Battenfeld, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tired

Verb

Luiz’s presence on the right wing could move speedy and active Capita to the left wing, once the 24-year-old Brazilian is entrenched in the lineup.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
The whole mess perfectly highlight how AI models can further biases deeply entrenched in their training data from the open web.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of entrenched

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“Overworked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overworked. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of overworked

adjective

verb

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