überladen

Überladen is a German verb meaning to load more cargo than capacity allows, or to overburden. It derives from über- (over) + laden (to load). The adjective form überladen describes something that has been overloaded.

In transportation, an object described as überladen carries more weight or volume than is safe or legal. Typical contexts include trucks, trailers, ships, and aircraft. Overloading can impair stability, braking, and steering, increase wear, and violate weight or load limits; penalties or fines may apply.

Metaphorically, überladen is used for things that carry too much content or responsibility. Examples: eine Website ist überladen mit Werbung or ein Bericht ist überladen mit Details. The term is common in both technical and everyday language to convey excess beyond the intended capacity.

Notes on usage: The word is written with the umlaut ü and forms part of both verb and adjective uses. In the perfect tense, German typically uses hat plus überladen (Der Fahrer hat den Anhänger überladen). As an adjective, es wird as überladen genutzt to describe objects after loading. Related terms include Überladung (overload) and überladenheit in more formal or specialized contexts.