OVERDRIVE (overdriven, overdrove)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: overdriven    , overdrove   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does overdrive mean? 

• OVERDRIVE (noun)
  The noun OVERDRIVE has 2 senses:

1. the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration

2. a high gear used at high speeds to maintain the driving speed with less output power

  Familiarity information: OVERDRIVE used as a noun is rare.

• OVERDRIVE (verb)
  The verb OVERDRIVE has 2 senses:

1. drive or work too hard

2. make use of too often or too extensively

  Familiarity information: OVERDRIVE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OVERDRIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

Melissa's brain was in overdrive

Hypernyms ("overdrive" is a kind of...):

action; activeness; activity (the state of being active)

Derivation:

overdrive (drive or work too hard)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A high gear used at high speeds to maintain the driving speed with less output power

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("overdrive" is a kind of...):

high; high gear (a forward gear with a gear ratio that gives the greatest vehicle velocity for a given engine speed)

• OVERDRIVE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they overdrive    ... he / she / it overdrives   
Past simple: overdrove   
Past participle: overdriven   
-ing form: overdriving   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Drive or work too hard

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

Overdriving people often suffer stress

Hypernyms (to "overdrive" is one way to...):

exploit; overwork (work excessively hard)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

overdrive (the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make use of too often or too extensively

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

overdrive; overuse

Hypernyms (to "overdrive" is one way to...):

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive to fight an infection.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)

The cells are called intraepithelial T lymphocytes (or natural IELs), and when they are not present, researchers discovered, the metabolism of mice goes into overdrive.

(Some gut cells slow down metabolism, accelerate cardiovascular disease, National Institutes of Health)

When there is an abnormality in the expression of these clock genes, the body’s innate immunity can go into overdrive.

(New study sheds fresh light on the genetic mechanisms involved in sepsis, the leading cause of death in ICUs, University of Granada)

Recently, researchers found that a cellular process called SUMOylation goes into overdrive in a certain species of ground squirrel during hibernation.

(Hibernating ground squirrels provide clues to new stroke treatments, National Institutes of Health)