Overemploy

verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To overuse.

    "He overemploys several constructions — most obviously dance trios in which the three dancers all follow the same figure-eight floor pattern — and several steps (notably the Bournonville grand jeté, an advancing jump toward the audience with back leg held at an angle)."

Example

More examples

"He overemploys several constructions — most obviously dance trios in which the three dancers all follow the same figure-eight floor pattern — and several steps (notably the Bournonville grand jeté, an advancing jump toward the audience with back leg held at an angle)."

Etymology

From over- + employ.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.