work overtime — do extra hours at work
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To stay at work and do more hours than your normal schedule, usually to finish tasks or earn extra money.
Say it like a native
Textbook I am obliged to perform labour beyond my contracted hours.
Native I had to work overtime again.
Natural; 'perform labour beyond contracted hours' is HR-policy language.
Pattern: work overtime
In use
- I often have to work overtime when there are big projects at the office.work
- In my previous job, I sometimes worked overtime to meet important deadlines, especially during busy periods.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I worked overtimes this week.
✓ I worked overtime this week.
'Overtime' is uncountable here — no 'overtimes'.
Common collocations
work overtime— do, paid, unpaid, work overtime to
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'work part-time' (which means working fewer hours).