overtax

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌoʊvɚˈtæks/ UK /ˌəʊvəˈtæks/ See IPA manual

Freq #94940

Meanings

1

verb
to make excessive demands on a person's strength, attention, or resources

The long journey overtaxed his strength and forced him to rest.
2

verb
to impose an excessive amount of tax on a person, organization, or activity

The proposal would overtax small businesses with narrow profit margins.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make excessive demands... overburden overstrain exhaust overload

2 verb · to impose an excessive... tax excessivelyovercharge

Opposites

spare relieve ease

Word family

Forms overtaxed

Derived forms overtaxationovertaxed

Related forms tax burden strain exhaustion

Etymology

Formed from over- ('excessively') + tax. Tax came through Old French taxer from Latin taxare, 'assess or value.' Because tax also developed the figurative sense 'make heavy demands on,' overtax can mean either impose too much taxation or strain a body, mind, system, or resource beyond capacity.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# overtax

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌoʊvɚˈtæks/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌəʊvəˈtæks/
**Frequency rank:** 94940

## Meanings
1. to make excessive demands on a person's strength, attention, or resources
2. to impose an excessive amount of tax on a person, organization, or activity

## Examples
- The long journey overtaxed his strength and forced him to rest.
- The proposal would overtax small businesses with narrow profit margins.

## Synonyms
- overburden
- overstrain
- exhaust
- overload
- tax excessively

## Antonyms
- spare
- relieve
- ease

## Derived Forms
- overtaxation
- overtaxed

## Related Forms
- tax
- burden
- strain
- exhaustion

## Etymology
Formed from over- ('excessively') + tax. Tax came through Old French taxer from Latin taxare, 'assess or value.' Because tax also developed the figurative sense 'make heavy demands on,' overtax can mean either impose too much taxation or strain a body, mind, system, or resource beyond capacity.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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