Master confusing words with ease
Overdo vs. Overdue
Overdo
/ˌəʊvəˈduː/Examples:
He tends to overdo compliments, often seeming insincere.Overdoing workouts can lead to unwanted injuries.Be careful not to overdo the spices in the dish.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Overdue
/ˌəʊvəˈdjuː/Examples:
The library book is overdue by two weeks.Her credit card bills were months overdue.The project completion date is long overdue.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Overdo has to do with doing something to excess, whereas overdue indicates something is late.
- Remember that overdo is about action and excess — do is part of the word.
- Overdue is time-related; its about something being due' or late on a timeline.
- If someone overdoes something, it can be tiring; do is action-oriented.
- When a book is overdue in a library, it wasn't returned on time — related to time, not action.
© 2025 Lithium Lab Pte Ltd