Ergomaniacs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who exhibit an obsessive preoccupation with work, often prioritizing productivity above personal well-being and relationships
2. Persons who demonstrate a compulsive dedication to their labor, frequently valuing work over leisure and social interaction
3. Individuals characterized by an intense fixation on work, typically sacrificing personal time and health for the sake of professional achievement

Etymology: The plural of "ergomaniac" is built from two pieces. The first, "ergo-", comes from the Greek "ergon", meaning "work", the same root that gives English words like "ergonomics" and "energy". The second, "-maniac", comes from the Greek "mania", meaning madness or a frenzied craving, and it has long been used in English to form words for people fixated on a single thing, such as "kleptomaniac" or "pyromaniac". Put together, "ergomaniac" describes someone with an extreme, almost obsessive appetite for work, in the same way a kleptomaniac has an urge to steal. The label is playful, since it treats overwork as a kind of illness rather than a virtue.