Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use overdo in a sentence

20 example sentences · verb

Overdo means to do too much; to exceed what is proper or true in doing; to carry too far. Example: “I overdid the sweets during the holidays and put on some weight.”

Examples of overdo by meaning

verbTo do too much; to exceed what is proper or true in doing; to carry too far.

  • I overdid the sweets during the holidays and put on some weight.
  • Carol had overdone the ventilation and the room was cold.1952, Patricia Highsmith, chapter 16, in The Price of Salt, New York: Norton, published 2004, page 200

verbTo cook for too long.

  • to overdo the meat

verbTo give (someone or something) too much work; to require too much effort or strength of (someone); to use up too much...

  • to overdo one’s strength

More sentences with overdo

  • Study hard, but don't overdo it. The problems in the exam won't be difficult to solve.From the entry problem
  • The makeup was so overdone that it was caked on.From the entry caked
  • It's neither too sparse nor too fussy, neither overly minimalist nor overdone.2017, Niki Brantmark, Lagom (Not Too Little, Not Too Much): The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life, unnumbered page. From the entry lagom
  • Meanwihle at Winterfell, another overdone scheme designed mainly to surprise the audience.2017 August 27, Brandon Nowalk, “Game Of Thrones slows down for the longest, and best, episode of the season (newbies)”, in The Onion AV…. From the entry brainstorm
  • However, "overdoing it can lead to skin irritation and inflammation," said Zeichner, who recommends only dermaplaning once a week.2023 March 15, Julia Pugachevsky, “Dermaplaning can make your face glow instantly — but you can also risk irritation and breakouts”, in…. From the entry dermaplane
  • Don't overdo it, or you may lapse into melodrama.2004, James Scott Bell, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, Penguin, →ISBN, page 146. From the entry on the nose
  • You've deliberately kept up more airspeed because of the stiff crosswind, but you've overdone it—airspeed is too high to land.1998 July, Edward Packard, Andrea Packard, Mayday! (Choose Your Own Adventure), number 184, New York; Toronto; London; Syndey; Auckland…. From the entry pull up
  • I myself think that Doc overdid the Yankee Doodle stuff.1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 288. From the entry babbitt
  • Poor Mayes overdid himself and has lost his speech.1917, Wilfred Owen, “Letter to Susan Owen dated 10 September, 1917”, in Complete Works, UK: Delphi Classics, published 2012. From the entry gesturation
  • Miss Nancy Price can’t be blamed for overdoing her necromanceress.1916 November 22, T., “At the Play. “The Widow’s Might.””, in Punch, or The London Charivari, volume CLI, London: […] the Office, […]…. From the entry necromanceress
  • Several trans men and women clients told me they had embarrassed themselves (in retrospect) by overdoing their gender expression, overgenderizing via clothing or behavior.2018, Joe Kort, LGBTQ Clients in Therapy: Clinical Issues and Treatment Strategies, W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN. From the entry overgenderize
  • There are lots of pauses and little detours, hitchings-up of their smocks, inspection of the soles of their feet, some rather overdone limping.1997, Lawrence Norfolk, The Pope's Rhinoceros. From the entry overdone
  • If this is overdone, or if a particular child is especially susceptible to such feelings, he ends by feeling ashamed of HIMSELF.1995, Theodore Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future. From the entry oversocialization
  • The father-son byplay is occasionally overdone and tedious, but there is a genuine warmth in both the Oland-Luke and the Toler-Sen Yung teamings.1983, Frank Northen Magill, Magill's American film guide, volume 1, page 647. From the entry byplay
  • To overdo can be as hard on allergies as to wrongdo, so you'll not want to take on too many activities at once.1958, Your Allergy and You. From the entry wrongdo
  • He retailed the common view to Isabel that “Ramsay” was “a tired man, & overdid the envangelical appeal & schoolmastery scolding, but in spots it was eloquent & impressive.”2015, Norman Hillmer, O. D. Skelton: A Portrait of Canadian Ambition, page 210. From the entry schoolmastery

Meaning of overdo

  1. verb To do too much; to exceed what is proper or true in doing; to carry too far.
  2. verb To cook for too long.
  3. verb To give (someone or something) too much work; to require too much effort or strength of (someone); to use up too much of (something).

Full definition of overdo

Questions about overdo in a sentence

How do you use overdo in a sentence?
Overdo is used as a verb. For example: “I overdid the sweets during the holidays and put on some weight.”
What is a short sentence with overdo?
“to overdo one’s strength”
What does overdo mean?
Overdo means to do too much; to exceed what is proper or true in doing; to carry too far.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: overdo (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use overdo in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/overdo. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.