overtask
Definition
Verb (transitive): - To impose an excessive burden of work or responsibility on someone: "overtask" means to assign too many tasks or duties to a person, thereby overwhelming them.
Usage Examples
- (The manager gave the assistant more work than she could handle.)
- (Teachers should avoid assigning an excessive amount of homework.)
Advanced Usage
- "to overtask oneself": to take on more work than one can reasonably manage.
- She overtasked herself by volunteering for three committees at once. (She took on too many responsibilities.)
Variants and Related Words
- Overtasking (noun/gerund): the act of imposing excessive work.
- The overtasking of employees leads to burnout and low morale. (The practice of giving too much work causes negative outcomes.)
- Overtasked (adjective): describing someone who has been given too much work.
- The overtasked intern struggled to meet deadlines. (The intern had too many tasks.)
Synonyms
- Overburden: to give someone more work or responsibility than they can handle.
- Overload: to load with too great a burden.
- Overwork: to force to work too hard.
Related Idioms
- Bite off more than one can chew: to take on a task that is too large or difficult.
- By accepting three part-time jobs, he bit off more than he could chew. (He overtasked himself.)