Irregular verbs Regular verbs
overwind, overwinds, overwinding, overwound
Synonyms: over-tighten, strain, tighten too much, break, damage
Antonyms: unwind, loosen, slacken, relax, wind properly
The Verb Overwind – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb overwind is an irregular verb meaning to wind a mechanical spring (in a clock, watch, or toy) past its proper limit, often causing it to break. VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: overwind ■ Past Simple: overwound ■ Past Participle: overwound ■ Present Participle/Gerund: overwinding USAGE AND CONTEXT This is a specific, technical verb related to mechanics that has become less common with the decline of wind-up devices. 1. Winding Mechanical Devices This is the sole context for this verb. ■ Watches/Clocks: 'He was told to be very careful not to overwind his grandfather's antique pocket watch.' ■ Toys: 'If you overwind this old tin toy, the spring inside will snap.' ℹ IMPORTANT: A MECHANICAL TERM ■ Declining Usage: As fewer people use mechanical wind-up devices, this verb has become less common in everyday language. Many younger speakers may not be familiar with it. ■ No Figurative Meaning: Unlike many 'over-' verbs, 'overwind' does not have a common figurative meaning. It is used exclusively for the literal action of winding something too tightly.
OVERWIND - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
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★ I | overwind |
★ you | overwind |
★ he/she/it | overwinds |
★ we | overwind |
★ you (plural) | overwind |
★ they | overwind |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Present Simple |
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- I am always careful not to overwind my grandfather's watch. |
- You overwind the toy, and then it breaks. |
- He often overwinds his automatic watch by shaking it too much. | She overwinds the music box. |
- We overwind the clock if we're not paying attention. |
- You (plural) overwind the springs. |
- They overwind the mechanisms in the factory. |
OVERWIND - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I am | overwinding |
★ you are | overwinding |
★ he/she/it is | overwinding |
★ we are | overwinding |
★ you are | overwinding |
★ they are | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am afraid I am overwinding this old clock. |
- You are overwinding the toy car. |
- He is overwinding the spring mechanism. | She is overwinding the yarn into a tight ball. |
- We are overwinding the timer. |
- You (plural) are overwinding the ropes. |
- They are overwinding the spools of thread. |
OVERWIND - PRESENT PERFECT | |
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★ I have | overwound |
★ you have | overwound |
★ he/she/it has | overwound |
★ we have | overwound |
★ you have | overwound |
★ they have | overwound |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have overwound the clock, and now it doesn't work. |
- You have overwound the music box. |
- He has overwound the watch and snapped the mainspring. | She has overwound the toy. |
- We have overwound the mechanism. |
- You (plural) have overwound the springs. |
- They have overwound the spools. |
OVERWIND - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I have been | overwinding |
★ you have been | overwinding |
★ he/she/it has been | overwinding |
★ we have been | overwinding |
★ you have been | overwinding |
★ they have been | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been overwinding these old mechanisms all day for practice. |
- You have been overwinding that toy. |
- He has been overwinding the springs on these old clocks and breaking them. | She has been overwinding the yarn. |
- We have been overwinding the film in the camera. |
- You (plural) have been overwinding the ropes. |
- They have been overwinding the spools. |
OVERWIND - PAST SIMPLE | |
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★ I | overwound |
★ you | overwound |
★ he/she/it | overwound |
★ we | overwound |
★ you (plural) | overwound |
★ they | overwound |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Past Simple |
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- I overwound the music box, and the spring snapped. |
- You overwound your watch yesterday. |
- He overwound the toy soldier, and it stopped marching. | She overwound the kitchen timer. |
- We overwound the clock. |
- You (plural) overwound the mechanism. |
- They overwound the engine's starter spring. |
OVERWIND - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I was | overwinding |
★ you were | overwinding |
★ he/she/it was | overwinding |
★ we were | overwinding |
★ you were | overwinding |
★ they were | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was overwinding the clock when I felt the spring give way. |
- You were overwinding the toy. |
- He was overwinding the delicate mechanism when he felt it break. | She was overwinding the spool of thread. |
- We were overwinding the winch. |
- You (plural) were overwinding the ropes. |
- They were overwinding the film. |
OVERWIND - PAST PERFECT | |
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★ I had | overwound |
★ you had | overwound |
★ he/she/it had | overwound |
★ we had | overwound |
★ you had | overwound |
★ they had | overwound |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Past Perfect |
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- I knew I had overwound the watch because the crown wouldn't turn anymore. |
- You had overwound the toy, which is why it broke. |
- She had overwound the clock, so it stopped working. | He had overwound the spring. |
- We had overwound the mechanism before we read the instructions. |
- You (plural) had overwound the winch cable. |
- They had overwound the film roll. |
OVERWIND - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I had been | overwinding |
★ you had been | overwinding |
★ he/she/it had been | overwinding |
★ we had been | overwinding |
★ you had been | overwinding |
★ they had been | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been overwinding the watch without realizing it. |
- You had been overwinding the toy. |
- The child had been overwinding the music box until it broke. | She had been overwinding the yarn. |
- We had been overwinding the springs. |
- You (plural) had been overwinding the ropes. |
- They had been overwinding the spools. |
OVERWIND - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
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★ I will | overwind |
★ you will | overwind |
★ he/she/it will | overwind |
★ we will | overwind |
★ you will | overwind |
★ they will | overwind |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Future Simple |
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- I will not overwind this antique watch. |
- You will overwind it if you turn the key one more time. |
- He will overwind the toy if he's not careful. | She will overwind the clock. |
- We will overwind the mechanism if we apply too much force. |
- You (plural) will overwind the springs. |
- They will overwind the ropes on the pulley. |
OVERWIND - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I will be | overwinding |
★ you will be | overwinding |
★ he/she/it will be | overwinding |
★ we will be | overwinding |
★ you will be | overwinding |
★ they will be | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be overwinding this if I don't pay attention. |
- You will be overwinding the toy. |
- He will be overwinding the clock mechanism. | She will be overwinding the yarn. |
- We will be overwinding the springs. |
- You (plural) will be overwinding the ropes. |
- They will be overwinding the spools. |
OVERWIND - FUTURE PERFECT | |
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★ I will have | overwound |
★ you will have | overwound |
★ he/she/it will have | overwound |
★ we will have | overwound |
★ you will have | overwound |
★ they will have | overwound |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have overwound the clock by the time you tell me to stop. |
- You will have overwound the toy and broken it. |
- He will have overwound the mechanism by the time he realizes his mistake. | She will have overwound the watch. |
- We will have overwound the springs. |
- You (plural) will have overwound the winch. |
- They will have overwound the spools. |
OVERWIND - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
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★ I will have been | overwinding |
★ you will have been | overwinding |
★ he/she/it will have been | overwinding |
★ we will have been | overwinding |
★ you will have been | overwinding |
★ they will have been | overwinding |
Examples of the verb 'overwind' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- By the end of the day, the apprentice will have been overwinding mechanisms all morning. |
- You will have been overwinding the toys. |
- He will have been overwinding the clocks in the shop. |
- We will have been overwinding the springs. |
- You (plural) will have been overwinding the ropes. |
- They will have been overwinding the spools for hours. |