overtax

O1V4E1R1T1A1X8
/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtæks/

verb

To tax to an excessive degree.

“The overtaxed shaft snapped.”

RareScrabble 17

Meanings

verbovertax (third-person singular simple present overtaxes, present participle overtaxing, simple past and past participle overtaxed)

present singular third person overtaxes · participle present overtaxing · participle past overtaxed · past overtaxed

  1. To tax to an excessive degree.
  2. To overburden.

    The overtaxed shaft snapped.

    2 more examples

    Again, that lonely taper, how often is it the companion and sign of studies for which the day is too short—studies that steal the gloss from the sunny hair, and the light from the over-taxed eye!

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A London Life”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 160

    The 310-mile Tokaido line is being built from Tokyo to Osaka, through the most densely populated and heavily industrialised area of the country, to relieve the existing 340-mile 3ft 6in gauge line, which is overtaxed by continually increasing traffic.

    1963 January, “New in Japan: Tokaido line trials”, in Modern Railways, page 44

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

Translations

French surtaxer
  • surtaxerto tax to an excessive degree
Greek υπερφορολογώ
  • υπερφορολογώ (yperforologó)to tax to an excessive degree
Hungarian túladóztat, túlterhel
  • túladóztatto tax to an excessive degree
  • túlterhelto overburden
  • túlerőltetto overburden
  • megerőltetto overburden
Cite this entry
APA

overtax. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtax

MLA

“overtax.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtax. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overtax,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtax.

Source: overtax on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.