Definition

Doing too much physical or mental work, which can lead to pain or injury.

Example

After the marathon, she felt tired due to overexertion during the race.

Conversation

I heard you pushed yourself pretty hard at the gym yesterday.

Yeah, I might have gone a bit too far; I feel some discomfort now.

It's easy to fall into overexertion when you're trying to improve.

Definitely! I need to be more mindful about my limits.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Overexertion → It is formed from "over-" (meaning excessively) and "exertion" (from Latin "exertio", meaning to put forth or exert). The word describes the act of putting forth effort excessively or beyond normal limits.

Memory Tip

Think of 'over' meaning excessively and 'exertion' meaning effort — this helps you remember that overexertion means putting in too much effort.

Visually Confused Words