overtime
gb/ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/ us/ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
B1
English
~ 5900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
quantity
1
extra hours of work
Time when you work more hours than your usual working time.
Usage pattern:
[someone] works overtime
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "overtime" with "over time". "Overtime" (one word) is extra working hours. "Over time" (two words) means gradually or during a period, as in "Things will change over time." Learners also sometimes say *"make overtime"*; in natural English we say "do overtime" or "work overtime".
Synonyms
extra hours (Informal and less specific; often needs context that it is work-related.)
Antonyms
regular hours (Refers to the normal agreed working schedule, without extra time added.)
Collocations
work overtime
|do overtime
|overtime hours
|paid overtime
|unpaid overtime
|voluntary overtime
Themes
work
|business
|daily life
|money
Examples
- I’ve been working overtime all week to finish this project.
- Staff are often expected to do unpaid overtime during busy periods.
- She refused to do any more overtime until she got a raise.
- The company has cut back on overtime to reduce costs.
- He logs his overtime carefully so he can claim it later.
Learner examples
- I have to work overtime tonight.
- He did a lot of overtime last month.
- We get dinner when we work overtime.
- She is tired because she did overtime yesterday.
Noun
B1
entity
2
extra pay for extra hours
Extra money you get for working more than your normal hours.
Usage pattern:
[someone] gets overtime for [working at a time]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"overtime money"* where native speakers more often say "overtime" or "overtime pay". Example: instead of *"I get overtime money for nights"*, say "I get overtime" or "I get overtime pay for nights."
Synonyms
premium pay (More technical and often used in HR or legal contexts; implies a higher-than-normal rate of pay.)
Antonyms
basic pay (Refers to standard wages that do not include any overtime or bonuses.)
Collocations
overtime pay
|get overtime
|claim overtime
|be paid overtime
|earn overtime
|time-and-a-half overtime
Themes
work
|money
|business
|finance
Examples
- We get overtime for working on Sundays.
- The union is negotiating a higher overtime rate for night shifts.
- You need your manager’s approval before you can claim overtime.
- She relies on overtime to boost her monthly income.
- They cut overtime to save money, and everyone’s pay dropped.
Learner examples
- Do you get overtime for weekend work?
- He lives well because he earns a lot of overtime.
- My overtime will be in my next paycheck.
- The company does not pay overtime after 8 p.m.
Noun
B2
event
3
extra playing time in sports
Extra time added to a sports game when the score is the same at the end of normal time.
Usage pattern:
[a game] goes into overtime
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "overtime" with "extra time" in sports. In many North American sports, speakers say "overtime". In international football (soccer), speakers usually say "extra time" instead.
Synonyms
extra time (More common in British and world football; "overtime" is more common in North American sports like basketball and ice hockey.)
Antonyms
regulation time (Refers to the normal, official length of the game before any added period.)
Collocations
go into overtime
|win in overtime
|lose in overtime
|force overtime
|overtime period
|double overtime
Themes
sports
|leisure
Examples
- The game went into overtime after a last-second goal.
- They won 3–2 in overtime with a dramatic shot.
- Her team forced overtime by scoring in the final minute.
- The crowd went wild when the home side scored in double overtime.
- If the score is still tied, there will be another overtime period.
Learner examples
- The match went into overtime.
- Our team lost in overtime.
- He scored the winning goal in overtime.
- They were very tired after two periods of overtime.
adverb
C1
property
4
more than normal; too much
More than normal or in a way that is too much, often about something that is working very hard.
Usage pattern:
[something] works overtime
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat this as a literal reference to extra work. In expressions like "my brain is working overtime", it is figurative and means "working too much" or "working very hard", not that the brain is actually doing paid extra work.
Synonyms
excessively (More formal and general; does not carry the specific "working too hard" image that "overtime" often has.)
Antonyms
barely (Suggests something is happening only a little, the opposite of happening too much.)
Collocations
brain is working overtime
|imagination is working overtime
|gossip machine working overtime
|marketing team working overtime
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My brain has been working overtime trying to solve this problem.
- The rumor mill is working overtime after the CEO’s sudden resignation.
- Her imagination went into overdrive, working overtime on every little detail.
- Marketing is working overtime to save the company’s image.
- The air conditioner is working overtime in this heat.
Learner examples
- My brain is working overtime today.
- The fans are working overtime in this hot room.
- Her imagination is working overtime before the exam.
- Social media is working overtime with this news.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overtime
IPA
GB/ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
US/ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
Syllables & stress
over - time (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: overtime
- Plural: overtime
Expressions
be on overtime
1/bˈi ˈɔn ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
currently working on overtime pay
To be working at a time when you are getting overtime pay.
Examples
- I’m on overtime this weekend, so I’ll be paid extra.
- They’re all on overtime tonight because of the big order.
- He doesn’t usually work nights unless he’s on overtime.
brain is working overtime
1/bɹˈeɪn ˈɪz wˈɚkɪŋ ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
idiom
thinking too much or very hard
To think a lot or very hard, often worrying or imagining many things.
Examples
- My brain is working overtime trying to remember everyone’s names.
- Her brain was working overtime after she heard the news.
- The night before the exam, his brain was working overtime.
do overtime
1/dˈu ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
put in extra work hours
To work extra hours, usually at the same job, after your normal finish time.
Examples
- I don’t want to do overtime this weekend.
- Nurses often have to do overtime when the hospital is busy.
- He did a lot of overtime last year to save money.
force overtime
1/fˈɔɹs ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
cause the game to go to overtime
To make a game go into extra time by making the score the same near the end of normal time.
Examples
- She scored with one second left to force overtime.
- The team forced overtime with a last-minute basket.
- They needed a goal just to force overtime.
go into overtime
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
game continues with extra time
If a game goes into overtime, it continues with extra playing time because the score is the same.
Examples
- The basketball game went into overtime after a last-second three-pointer.
- If the match is still tied, it will go into overtime.
- The crowd cheered when the final shot made the game go into overtime.
overtime pay
1/ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm pˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
extra money for extra work
Money you get for working more than your normal hours.
Examples
- The company offers generous overtime pay during the holidays.
- New rules will increase overtime pay for low-income workers.
- We only get overtime pay after the first 40 hours.
put in overtime
1/pˈʊt ˈɪn ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
spend extra time working
To work extra hours in addition to your normal work time.
Examples
- We had to put in a lot of overtime before the product launch.
- She put in overtime all week to prepare the report.
- I’m exhausted after putting in so much overtime this month.
win in overtime
1/wˈɪn ˈɪn ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
win during extra time
To win a game during the extra time that is played after a tie at the end of normal time.
Examples
- They won in overtime with a goal in the 93rd minute.
- The team finally won in overtime after a very close game.
- We almost lost, but we came back and won in overtime.
work overtime
1/wˈɚk ˈoʊvɚtˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
do extra hours of work
To work more hours than your normal working time.
Examples
- I often work overtime at the end of the month.
- She refused to work overtime without extra pay.
- We had to work overtime to meet the deadline.