over·stress
ˌō-vər-ˈstres 
overstressed; overstressing
: to stress (someone or something) excessively: such as
a
: to subject (someone or something) to excessive physical or psychological stress
overstressed himself with too many commitments
… workers often overstress their muscles and tissues to the point where they become inflamed …—
Predicasts Technology Update
Predicasts Technology Update… the alternate action of the wind on either side of the church overstressed the intermediate external pillar, which failed.—Mario Salvadori
Mario Salvadori
b
: to place too much emphasis on (something) : overemphasize
overstress the possibility of an unlikely problem
The importance of this point can't be overstressed. = I can't overstress the importance of this point.
over·stress
ˈō-vər-ˌstres
: an excessive amount of physical or psychological stress
overstress on a building's supports
He learned a short left leg had resulted in overstress on the right foot.—Hillary Gavan
Hillary GavanWhile a certain level of stress can increase productivity, overstress causes us—at a deep, biological level—to start making choices that are unwise, unsafe, and even unethical.—Brian Whetten
Brian WhettenExamples of overstress in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dewayne Hart, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Soon after the first fire sparked on Jan. 7, reports and concerns began to emerge that the fire hydrants were running dry, after being overstressed without aircraft support.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 12 Jan. 2025
Wednesday The water system used to fight the Palisades fire in Los Angeles buckled in the morning, as some hydrants ran dry as they were overstressed without assistance from firefighting aircraft.
—Melina Walling, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the use of portable electric heaters has overstressed the power grid — with more than a hundred fires reported daily.
—Charles Maynes, NPR, 9 Jan. 2025
And that can reduce your risk of injury, since all parts will be doing their job, instead of one taking on more load than it’s supposed to, which can ultimately overstress it.
—Elizabeth Millard, Cpt, SELF, 19 Nov. 2024
Those issues are compounded by the fact that the staff tasked with making them are overworked, overstressed, and overtired.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 8 Nov. 2022
Don't overstress yourself Work in teams of two or more people to move heavy objects.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
The advantage is being able to tax the muscle sufficiently to convince it to make changes and grow bigger and stronger, but without heavy weights that can overstress the joints.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2024
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Verb
Many assessments overlook this factor, and businesses must overstress their staff to meet cybersecurity demands.
—Dewayne Hart, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Soon after the first fire sparked on Jan. 7, reports and concerns began to emerge that the fire hydrants were running dry, after being overstressed without aircraft support.
—Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 12 Jan. 2025
Wednesday The water system used to fight the Palisades fire in Los Angeles buckled in the morning, as some hydrants ran dry as they were overstressed without assistance from firefighting aircraft.
—Melina Walling, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, the use of portable electric heaters has overstressed the power grid — with more than a hundred fires reported daily.
—Charles Maynes, NPR, 9 Jan. 2025
And that can reduce your risk of injury, since all parts will be doing their job, instead of one taking on more load than it’s supposed to, which can ultimately overstress it.
—Elizabeth Millard, Cpt, SELF, 19 Nov. 2024
Those issues are compounded by the fact that the staff tasked with making them are overworked, overstressed, and overtired.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, WIRED, 8 Nov. 2022
Don't overstress yourself Work in teams of two or more people to move heavy objects.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024
The advantage is being able to tax the muscle sufficiently to convince it to make changes and grow bigger and stronger, but without heavy weights that can overstress the joints.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2024
Dictionary Entries Near overstress
Cite this Entry
“Overstress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstress. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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