oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold ˌō-vər-ˈsōld  ; overselling

transitive verb

1

a

: to sell too much or too many to

b

: to sell too much or too many of

2

: to make excessive claims for

oversell

ˈō-vər-ˌsel 

noun

Examples of oversell in a Sentence

Hotels routinely oversell their rooms, expecting a small percentage of no-shows.

Don't oversell yourself in the job interview.

The salesman oversold the features on the new model.

Recent Examples on the Web

Oura rings oversell their ability to track a wearer’s sleep, a new class-action lawsuit alleges. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Parks, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman, pointed out that Zorich was a big help in the recruiting process, but his godfather didn’t oversell Notre Dame. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

The weather guys oversold western Ohio getting pounded yesterday. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Experts, however, say that the climate change benefits may have been oversold. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oversell

• bagatelle
• calomel
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• coronel
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle

Kids Definition

oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold -ˈsōld  ; overselling

: to sell too much to or of