How Do You Spell OVERTASK?

1. Overtask is a verb that refers to the act of assigning or burdening someone or something with an excessive amount of work or responsibilities, beyond their abilities or capacity. When a person is overtaken, they are overloaded, overwhelmed, or overworked beyond what they can reasonably handle. This may occur when an individual is given too many tasks, projects, or obligations within a specific timeframe, resulting in a feeling of being stretched too thin and potentially negatively impacting their performance or well-being.

   In a broader sense, overtaking can also apply to entities like systems, organizations, or resources that are overwhelmed or strained due to an excessive workload or demand. For example, a computer or network may be overtaken if it is subjected to too many simultaneous operations, causing it to slow down or crash. Similarly, public services like healthcare, transportation, or emergency services can be overtaken when faced with an overwhelming number of requests or emergencies, which can lead to delays or compromised effectiveness.

   The term "overtask" implies a failure to adequately balance workload or resources, often resulting in negative consequences. It highlights the importance of properly assessing and distributing responsibilities to ensure individuals or systems are not overwhelmed or put under undue strain, thereby maintaining productivity, efficiency, and overall well-being.

2. To require too much labour from, either mental or physical.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for OVERTASK

The word "overtask" is derived from the combination of two separate words: "over" and "task".

The word "over" comes from the Old English word "ofer", which means "above" or "beyond". It has its roots in the Proto-Germanic language and can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European base "*uper".

The word "task" originated from the Middle English word "taske", which referred to a piece of work assigned to someone. It was derived from the Old North French word "tasque", meaning "a duty or tax". The Old French word "tasque" can be further traced back to the Vulgar Latin word "tasca", which meant "duty" or "impost".

Conjugate verb Overtask

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