overpay

verb

over·​pay ˌō-vər-ˈpā How to pronounce overpay (audio)
overpaid ˌō-vər-ˈpād How to pronounce overpay (audio) ; overpaying

transitive + intransitive

: to pay too much to someone or for something
… the debate over whether organic foods are a smart choice for healthier living or a marketing tool that gulls people into overpaying.Kenneth Chang
It took my husband and me an hour with a representative to figure out we were overpaying for insurance and unlimited data plans.Tanisha A. Sykes
Be careful not to overpay state taxes.Carl T. Hall
We are not overpaying people; we are paying people what the market demands.Renee Glover
overpaid adjective
… fuels the negative stereotype of the overpaid underworked bureaucrat. Joann S. Lublin

Examples of overpay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Do the Yankees have bigger fish to fry than worrying about overpaying LeMahieu all these years later? Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 In 2021, Zillow's home-buying algorithm, Zillow Offers, began overpaying for houses due to flawed input data and inaccurate model assumptions, resulting in nearly $500 million in losses and the shutdown of the entire business unit. Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025 And LaMarca said Cepero’s salary doesn’t mean that she’s overpaid. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2025 The Bulls previously learned a hard lesson from overpaying a young player out of restricted free agency after signing Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract that morphed into a proverbial albatross before the ink even dried. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for overpay

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overpay was in 1664

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overpay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpay. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on overpay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!