oversaturate

verb

over·​sat·​u·​rate ˌō-vər-ˈsa-chə-ˌrāt 

oversaturated; oversaturating

transitive verb

: to saturate to an excessive degree

… since the company went public, it's been opening so many stores that it's at risk of oversaturating its own market …

—Angela Mulholland

… the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge … slipped several feet in February when storms oversaturated the underlying soil.

—Kurtis Alexander

… settings that don't oversaturate colors or look too dim.

—Dieter Bohn

also : supersaturate

oversaturated the water with salt

oversaturated adjective

… delivers impressive image quality. Colors are bright and realistic without being oversaturated.

—Luisa Simone

Perhaps you remember a chemistry experiment from high school: You dissolve a salt in hot water, let the solution cool down, put a small crystal in the now oversaturated solution—then all of a sudden crystals form.

—Bert J. M. de Vries

oversaturation

ˌō-vər-ˌsa-chə-ˈrā-shən 

adjective

oversaturation of the market with too many action films

… colors usually struck a nice balance between accurate and pleasant oversaturation.

—Mitt Jones

Examples of oversaturate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But these days, caviar is ubiquitous and the market is deeply oversaturated. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026

Take care not to oversaturate the surface, as excess liquid can drip into the edges of the oven, damaging the appliance's internal components. —Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 28 Jan. 2026

Beats’ Powerbeats Pro 2 While the headphones market is oversaturated, Beats’ Powerbeats Pro 2 is one release that cuts through the noise (and deserves a spot in your shopping bag). —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 2025

What was the It shoe one moment can quickly become the style that has oversaturated the market, be oh, so last season. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

Choose cleaners specifically made for hardwoods, and don't oversaturate the floor. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2025

Many more complex plants wither and die in shady or oversaturated soil, but not moss. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Nov. 2025

And while the consumer products market is, indeed, oversaturated already, Brigette and Danielle believe the influencer brand side is still largely untapped. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025

In a world oversaturated with noise, this level of artistic conviction reminds us that the boldest creators resist stasis. —Thania Garcia, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oversaturate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate