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 process is supposed to be pretty straightforward and similar to what happens if someone accidentally overpays a tariff. —Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026

Lawmakers had been increasingly vocal in their criticisms in recent years of the department’s increasing budget and of mistakes, such as overpaying providers to transport Medicaid members to their appointments in passenger vehicles. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026

That said, there are many products people consistently overpay for without even realizing it. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

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

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