overuse

Everyday

1. (verb) To use something too much or too often. tree →
2. (noun) Using something too much, so that it is wasted, worn out, harmful or boring. tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons teachers warn about overusing words like "nice", "said" or "then": it makes writing dull. In science and health it comes up as overuse of water, antibiotics or screens, and overuse injuries in sport. Overused phrases are called clichés. Phrases: overuse of, overused word, overuse injury.

Examples

• Try not to overuse the word "nice" in your story. tree →
• Overuse of antibiotics can make germs stronger. tree →
• My knee hurts from overuse after the football tournament. tree →
• "Awesome" is a bit overused, isn't it? tree →
• Overusing water in a drought is a bad idea. tree →
• The teacher circled every overused "then" in my writing. tree →

Note

Verb stress: o-ver-USE (z sound); noun stress: O-ver-use (s sound). Past: overused. The noun is uncountable: "the overuse of…". Do not confuse with "misuse" (using wrongly) or "abuse" (using badly or cruelly).