overused

past tense of overuse
as in popularized
to use so much as to make less appealing she had overused that joke to the point where it was eliciting groans and not guffaws

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overused Although the word ‘hero’ is greatly overused in today’s society, in my mind, Calvin Duncan is a hero in the truest sense of that word. Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 Meanwhile, existing antibiotics have been overused, and resistance has mounted to critical levels. Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026 Many detox teas contain laxatives like senna, which can cause side effects like diarrhea, cramping, and bloating if overused. Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 3 June 2026 Baking soda does not make tomatoes sweeter and can harm plants if overused. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 May 2026 But in science, they have been especially overused. Clarissa Brincat, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026 Turning Up the Heat Too High Too Fast High heat has its place, but it is often overused. Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026 Rights groups warn the measure, introduced in March 2025, is now being overused by authorities. ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 Derma rollers must be cleaned properly and not overused. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overused
Verb
  • They can get dehydrated and overexposed to the sun and are unable to cool down.
    Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • The background appears splotchy and overexposed, but to my dismay, the selfie camera did not miss my messy eyebrows or the minor imperfections on my skin.
    Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • In the finals, Israel faced an Australian team already exhausted after fending off South Korea, Japan and Rhodesia (itself in the Asian tournament after being banned in Africa over its white governing regime).
    Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026
  • For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • Brousson jokingly stereotyped the Waffle House staffers as having active warrants, picking their nose with the spatulas and smoking cigarettes while battling third-degree grease burns.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026
  • When younger generations don’t have interactions or relationships with older adults having vibrant lives, later chapters of life can be stereotyped as a time of pain, difficulty and loss, Emery-Tiburcio said.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • For anyone bored by the shallow thinking of podcasts, here are real depths.
    Air Mail, Air Mail, 27 June 2026
  • He’s been bored of this war for a while, and in the West Wing, there was a race to be done with it.
    Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Overused.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overused. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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