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

And effort, in 2026, is the one thing even wealthy customers refuse to overpay for. —Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

With premiums varying widely across different products and purchase methods, understanding where your money goes can mean the difference between building a position efficiently and overpaying for the same amount of metal. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

Frustration for workers and departments alike DeAndre Harice is one state employee who received a letter from his department that California overpaid him. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026

At the time, Kang vastly overpaid for the franchise. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 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