⏰ To promise too much 💾 To allocate too much

to overcommit

1 6.1

Agreeing to do more work or tasks than you can handle

verb
/ˌoʊvərkəˈmɪt/

: comprometerse en exceso

Likewise, be careful not to overcommit to writing or social/family projects and respect your own need for rest and recreation.

Examples

A common problem shared by many workaholics is a tendency to overcommit.

Blog text (6)
But it's true, sometimes we do overcommit.

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I did, I think, slightly overcommit to the whole dog thing.

Bridesmaids (2011)
Christmas seems to be the one time of year I overcommit myself.

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We have such a huge tendency to overcommit as a family, and I think this year (more than ever) we need to step back and consider what we really want to make the holidays about!

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After last year's Yuletide fiber marathon, I swore I wouldn't overcommit myself again.

Blog text (8)
She decided to take on fewer projects this year to avoid overcommitting herself.
To manage his time better, he learned to say no to tasks he might overcommit to.
Many people struggle with overcommitting during the holidays, often agreeing to too many events.

Synonyms

to overextend

vsto overcommit

19 6.3

To try to do more than you can handle and cause strain

involves agreeing to more tasks rather than actually doing too many

to overreach

vsto overcommit

8 6.6

To try to do more than you can and fail

refers to agreeing to more responsibilities than can be handled

to overpromise

vsto overcommit

4 5.0

Say you will do more than you can really do

agrees to do more than can realistically be handled

to promise the moon

vsto overcommit

Informal

1 6.8

Tell someone you will do something very big although you cannot do it

agrees to take on more than can reasonably be done

How Committed

to overcommit

1 6.1

to commit

139 3.3

to agree

∞ 1.0

to decline

272 3.4

Surface Forms

overcommit infinitive

overcommitted past

overcommitted past participle

overcommitting present participle

overcommits third person singular

Morphology

overcommit = commit (transparent) = over + commit

Productive and literal prefixation (over- + commit) yielding the clear meaning 'to promise or agree to do too much', which is directly inferable from the parts.

Etymology

Overcommit is made of over- ('too much') and commit ('to promise' or 'to give your time'), so to overcommit yourself is to promise more tasks or time than you can handle, which is why you end up feeling too busy.