核心畫面
Think of over- plus worked as a load piled past the line. Something is sent out to do the job again and again, past the point where it still holds up. A doctor seeing forty patients a day is past that line. So is a phrase that has been asked to sound clever one time too many. Both pictures are the same picture.
可以想成 over-（超過）加上 worked（被使喚）：一樣東西被派去做事，一次又一次，一直做到超過它撐得住的那條…更多收起
可以想成 over-（超過）加上 worked（被使喚）：一樣東西被派去做事，一次又一次，一直做到超過它撐得住的那條線。一位一天看四十個病人的醫生在那條線外面。一個被講到爛的說法也在那條線外面。兩邊其實是同一個畫面——不是壞掉，是累到沒力氣了。From the word’s history
From over- + worked, according to the source entry: literally made to work past the limit.
來源資料的字源樹寫著 From over- + worked，字面就是「被使喚到超過限度」。這個結構直接對上今天的用法：問題出在「超過」，不在「工作」。
Wiktionary entry for 'overworked' (packet evidence, kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1168456571): 'From over- + worked.'