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

Who are the most underpaid and overpaid coaches? —Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025

The Wild had no choice but to overpay. —Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025

Some have suggested that the Ellisons overpaid for The Free Press. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025

Like Robert Maxwell’s pursuit of the New York Daily News or Rupert Murdoch overpaying to pry The Wall Street Journal from the Bancroft family, Musk had to have it. —Jacob Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

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