over·use
ˌō-vər-ˈyüz 
overused; overusing
: to use (something) too much : to use (something) excessively or too frequently
a word that has been greatly overused
At best, gatekeepers can keep everyone from overusing costly high-tech treatments when primary care is enough.—
Marilyn Chase
over·use
ˌō-vər-ˈyüs
: too much use : excessive or too frequent use
the overuse of antibiotics
athletes suffering from overuse injuries
His overuse of four-letter words—often a dozen per page—may accurately mirror a macho world where cussing is cool, but it is tedious to read.—Frederick Kaufman
Examples of overuse in a Sentence
Verb
she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Bradley, Health, 11 May 2025
Similar to coffee grounds, tea can be overused as a fertilizer.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2025
Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025
For years, progressives used fear and intimidation to silence individuals and organizations that refused to buy into their toxic orthodoxy, but the left has thrown around so many slanderous terms in an effort to silence its opponents, those terms have lost their once-potent sting from overuse.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overuse
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Verb
Anyone who overuses or overextends one of these muscles can end up with pain in the back of their knee.
—Noun
Each has a primary and backup set of roll thrusters, which NASA engineers toggle between using to avoid clogging their fuel tubes from overuse.
—Cite this Entry
“Overuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overuse. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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