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Definition of overtax

overtax

/ˌoʊvərˈtæks/
o · ver · tax
Adjective:overtaxed
•
Past Simple:overtaxed
•
Past Participle:overtaxed
•
Present Participle:overtaxing
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overtax Lexical Profile

overtax Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To make excessive physical, mental, or operational demands on a person, resource, or system.

Example

"Taking on three simultaneous research projects will inevitably overtax the laboratory staff."

2

To levy excessive or unfairly high financial taxes on a citizen, business, or population.

Example

"Economists warned that the new fiscal policy might overtax small businesses and stifle local growth."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for overtax

• Nearby Words

overtake
overtalk
overtask
overtax
overthink
overthinker
overthrow

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in late Middle English from the prefix 'over-' and 'tax', which entered English via Old French from the Latin 'taxare' (to censure, charge, or compute).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Overtax. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/overtax
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