overpay

verb

over·​pay ˌō-vər-ˈpā 

overpaid ˌō-vər-ˈpād  ; 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

Recent legislation reshaped core parts of the federal tax code, and with those changes taking effect retroactively for 2025, taxpayers who file without reviewing what's new risk either overpaying or underclaiming. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

Refunds are sent to taxpayers who overpaid their taxes during the year. —Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 11 Apr. 2026

The Chiefs should be open to moving out of the pick, particularly because the luxury of selecting in the top 10 is teams often overpay to move up. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026

The plaintiffs are also seeking as much as $700 million in damages on behalf of concertgoers who allegedly overpaid because of Live Nation’s monopoly. —Leah Nylen, Bloomberg, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overpay

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway