Overexert

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To engage in physical or mental activities with excessive effort, which can lead to fatigue or negative health consequences
2. To push oneself too hard physically or mentally, resulting in exhaustion or possible harm
3. To attempt more effort than is safely manageable, causing undue tiredness or stress

Etymology: "Overexert" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-", meaning excessively or beyond the proper limit, attached to "exert". The base verb comes from Latin "exserere", built from "ex-", "out", and "serere", "to join or put in a row", so the underlying sense is of thrusting something out or bringing it forth. English took "exert" in the sense of putting forth force or effort, and "overexert" follows the same logic, meaning to put forth too much of that effort. The new word is simply the sum of its parts, and the prefix does the work. "Over-" can be attached to almost any verb to signal excess, so "overexert" belongs to a large family that includes "overwork", "overeat" and "overstretch". Its meaning, to strain oneself beyond what is wise or healthy, follows directly from combining the two halves.

Synonyms: overstrain, exert, overwork, fatigue, stress

Antonyms: rest, relax, unwind, repose, calm