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

Because of this lack of transparency, the lawsuit asserts, Texans overpaid. —Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026

Some commentators even argued the Knicks had overpaid. —Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026

The government now overpays Medicare Advantage plans — over $106 billion between 2010 and 2019. —Torie Bosch, STAT, 7 Feb. 2026

Beyond that, overpaying for a traditional centre has made less sense as the season has gone on. —Eric Koreen, New York Times, 5 Feb. 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