overconsumption

noun

over·​con·​sump·​tion ˌō-vər-kən-ˈsəm(p)-shən 

: excessive consumption or use of something

the overconsumption of fossil fuels

overconsumption of alcohol

The flip side of deficient saving, of course, is overconsumption. At its peak in 1987, household expenditure as a percentage of national income was 74%, almost four percentage points above the highest levels reached during the previous two decades.

—Robert S. Gay

Examples of overconsumption in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Filler After years of overconsumption in the filler department, the pendulum is swinging back. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Nov. 2025

Then, in 1980, the USDA and the HHS released the seven-point Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as the overconsumption of sugar, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium steadily gained recognition as risk factors for developing chronic diseases. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 14 Nov. 2025

And because almonds contain oxalates, overconsumption of the butter poses a kidney stone risk in susceptible individuals. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

The record captures mounting angst, pushes back against control and calls out the capitalistic sides of our culture that fuel materialism and overconsumption. —Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overconsumption

• assumption
• consumption
• presumption
• resumption
• subsumption
• gumption
• sumption