overworked
UK[ˌəʊvəˈwɜːkt]US[ˌoʊvərˈwɜːrkt]
adj
having been made to work too hard or for too long
adj
used too often or in too many situations, making it less effective
Morpheme Breakdown
over
work
ed
over
excessively
work
toil
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'overworked' is a modern english compound adjective formed from three native old english elements. the prefix 'over-' carries its ancient germanic sense of excess, derived from the proto-indo-european root uper, meaning "over." the core root 'work' descends from the pie root werg-, meaning "to do," which evolved through proto-germanic into the old english concept of laborious activity. the suffix '-ed' is the common participial ending used to form adjectives describing a resultant state. the literal combination, "excessively labored," directly and logically conveys the modern meaning of being exhausted from too much labor or a concept rendered clichéd from overuse.
Analysis
Structure: over (excessively) + work (toil) + ed (adjective suffix)
over: from old english ofer, meaning "above, beyond, excessively." functions as an intensifying prefix indicating excess.
work: from old english weorc, meaning "something done, labor, toil." functions as the core root denoting labor or effort.
ed: from old english -ed, -od, a suffix used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns, indicating a state or condition.
Examples
the overworked staff finally demanded better conditions and shorter hours.
that metaphor has become an overworked cliché in political speeches.
she felt overworked and underappreciated in her demanding role.