overextend

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Word: Overextend

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To overextend means to strain yourself or to take on more responsibilities than you can handle. It often refers to doing too much, leading to stress or difficulty in managing your tasks.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "overextend" to talk about taking on too much work, responsibility, or effort.
• It often has a negative connotation, suggesting that the person may become overwhelmed or unable to cope with their commitments.

Example Sentence:

• "She overextended herself by volunteering for three different projects at the same time."

Advanced Usage:

• In a business context, you might say, "The company overextended its resources by investing in too many new projects at once, leading to financial strain."

Word Variants:

• Overextension (noun): The act of overextending oneself. For example: "His overextension led to burnout."
• Overextended (adjective): Describes someone who has taken on too much. For example: "She felt overextended after agreeing to lead two teams simultaneously."

Different Meanings:

1. Financial Context: In finance, to overextend can mean to borrow more money than one can pay back, which can lead to financial trouble.
   • Example: "The homeowner overextended by taking out a large mortgage they couldn't afford."

Synonyms:

• Strain
• Overwork
• Exhaust
• Burden

Idioms:

• "Burning the candle at both ends": This idiom means to overwork oneself, often leading to exhaustion.
  • Example: "If you keep burning the candle at both ends, you’ll end up sick."

Phrasal Verbs:

• While there are no direct phrasal verbs that mean the same as "overextend," you might use phrases like "take on too much" or "push oneself too hard" to convey similar meanings.

Summary:

To overextend is to take on too much responsibility or effort, often leading to stress or problems. It can be applied in various contexts, including personal life, work, and finance.

Academic

Verb

1. strain excessively
   • He overextended himself when he accepted the additional assignment

Synonyms

• overstrain