Overbelastes

Overbelastes is the present passive form of the Norwegian verb overbelaste, meaning to place too great a burden on someone or something, or to become overloaded. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, from physical and mental strain to mechanical, electrical, and information systems. In everyday speech, it describes situations where capacity is exceeded, leading to stress, inefficiency, or malfunction.

Etymology and grammar: overbelaste is formed from the prefix over- (indicating excess) and belaste (to burden). The passive present form, overbelastes, is used when the subject is undergoing the action of being overloaded. Active forms include overbelaster (to overburden someone or something) and overbelastet or overbelastede in past tenses, depending on the construction. The term is common in Bokmål Norwegian and is understood in Nynorsk as well, though spelling and conjugation may differ slightly between standards.

Contexts and usage: The word is applied to people, processes, and systems. In labor and health contexts, individuals can be overbelastet due to excessive workload or stress. In technology and infrastructure, systems such as computers, networks, or grids can become overbelastet when demand exceeds capacity, potentially leading to performance degradation or failures. It is often used in discussions of workload management, safety, and resilience planning.

Related terms: overbelastning (overload), belastning (burden/load), kapasitet (capacity). See also topics on workload management, system reliability, and risk assessment.

Examples: The serveret kan overbelastes under peak traffic. Mange arbeidstakere blir overbelastet av langvarig arbeid uten tilstrekkelig hvile.