overstress

[ oh-ver-stres ]

verb (used with object)

1. overemphasize.
2. to subject to excessive stress or strain.
3. Mechanics. to stress (a metal or other body) to the point of deformation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of overstress¹

First recorded in 1915–20; over- + stress

Example Sentences

The building’s walls and columns are overstressed, which means they may not be able to support the floors above them.

From Los Angeles Times

But now, you see the fatigue of being overworked and overstressed and everything compounding because of the alcoholism and the mental illness, and it’s f— Christmas and the expectations that go along with that.

From Los Angeles Times

“I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point,” envoy Maria Isabel Salvador told the U.N.

From Seattle Times

Security Council, “I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point.”

From Seattle Times

A warmer world also causes more surface water to evaporate, leaving less to seep through the ground to replenish overstressed aquifers.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• exaggerate
• maximize
• overdo
• overemphasize
• overstate
• overuse