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

This Byram move feels like a repeat of the 2021 Seth Jones trade, in which Chicago overpaid to acquire a talented but imperfect big-name defenseman. — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 24 June 2026

That may mean advising a client against overpaying for a property, highlighting concerns about a home's condition, or identifying risks that aren't immediately obvious. — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

When that tax money did come through from the county, some districts were overpaid or underpaid. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026

Past Heat successes are often cited as reason the Heat shouldn’t be worried about overpaying for an aging star and should have no problem building a team around said star. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 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