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

The biggest risk is overpaying or working with a company that lacks transparency. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 14 May 2026

The approach ended up working out quite well, as USC didn’t end up overpaying at the front end. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026

Taxpayers who were assessed interest that began accruing during that period may also be eligible for refunds on those deductions, along with those who overpaid interest for that time. —Connor Greene, Time, 11 May 2026

Vastly overpaying for such slim (and in AOL’s case, falling) profits cratered the combo at warp speed. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overpay

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