overqualified

adjective

over·​qual·​i·​fied ˌō-vər-ˈkwä-lə-ˌfīd 

: having more education, training, or experience than a job calls for

Examples of overqualified in a Sentence

They didn't hire her because she was overqualified for the job.

Recent Examples on the Web

The irony inherent in their apprenticeship is that John, an overeducated, overqualified Black millennial who possesses every skill a Lantern could conceivably need, has already spent his entire life training to do what Hal does. — Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026

The facility was so plush, the childcare staff so overqualified and attentive, the organic diaper stash so plentiful, twenty minutes in and they were sold. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

Make Your Experience Relevant Mid-career professionals are sometimes advised to remove dates from their résumés, shorten their work histories or avoid appearing overqualified. — Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

If things go wrong, the overqualified graduate activist class could provide the revolutionaries of the future. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overqualified

• acetaldehyde
• acetanilide
• arabinoside
• cycloheximide
• cyclophosphamide
• diethylamide
• dinucleotide
• ferricyanide
• ferrocyanide
• glutaraldehyde
• glyceraldehyde
• hydroperoxide