overlabour

The writer overlabours the final paragraph of his manuscript.

Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To work excessively or toil too much: "overlabour" means to exert oneself beyond reasonable limits, often to the point of exhaustion or detriment.
   • To elaborate or refine excessively: In a figurative sense, it can mean to overwork a task, idea, or piece of writing by spending too much time or effort on it, resulting in unnatural or forced quality.

Usage Examples

• Physical labour:

  • The farmer overlaboured his oxen by plowing the field for twelve hours straight. (He made the animals work too hard.)
  • She overlaboured herself on the construction site and collapsed from fatigue. (She exerted herself beyond safe limits.)

• Figurative/creative work:

  • The author overlaboured the final chapter, making it overly complex and dull. (He revised and polished it too much, harming its natural flow.)
  • Do not overlabour the explanation; keep it simple for the students. (Avoid over-refining or complicating it.)

Advanced Usage

• "to overlabour a point": to dwell on or emphasize a point excessively in discussion or writing.

  • In his speech, he overlaboured the need for punctuality, boring the audience. (He repeated or elaborated the point too much.)

• "overlaboured style": a writing or artistic style that appears strained or artificial due to excessive effort.

  • The poem's overlaboured metaphors felt forced rather than inspired. (The excessive refinement made them unnatural.)

Variants and Related Words

• Overlabour (noun): the act or result of excessive work.

  • The overlabour of the project led to burnout among the team. (The excessive work caused exhaustion.)

• Overlaboured (adj): characterized by excessive effort or refinement.

  • Her overlaboured speech lacked spontaneity. (It was too carefully crafted.)

• Overlabouring (adj/gerund): the process of working excessively.

  • The overlabouring of the engine caused it to overheat. (Running it too hard caused damage.)

Synonyms

• Overwork: to work too much or too hard.
  • He overworked himself to meet the deadline. (Similar to overlabour but more common.)
• Overexert: to exert oneself beyond one's strength.
  • She overexerted during the marathon. (Focuses on physical strain.)
• Overelaborate: to add excessive detail or decoration.
  • The designer overelaborated the dress with too many sequins. (Similar to the figurative sense.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Overlabour with: to treat someone or something with excessive work.
  • The manager overlaboured the team with endless revisions. (He made them work too hard on the task.)

Related Idioms

• To labour the point: to repeat or emphasize something too much.
  • I understand your argument; there is no need to labour the point. (Similar to "overlabour a point," but "labour" alone is more common in idioms.)

Note: "Overlabour" is a relatively rare word, often used in formal or literary contexts. Its more common synonym is "overwork."