oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold ˌō-vər-ˈsōld  ; overselling

transitive verb

1

a

: to sell too much or too many to

b

: to sell too much or too many of

2

: to make excessive claims for

oversell

ˈō-vər-ˌsel 

noun

Examples of oversell in a Sentence

Hotels routinely oversell their rooms, expecting a small percentage of no-shows.

Don't oversell yourself in the job interview.

The salesman oversold the features on the new model.

Recent Examples on the Web

Job seekers feel pressure to oversell themselves, and employers sometimes oversell the job. —Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025

But some feel that their benefits have been oversold. —Adam B. Kushner, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

Deeply oversold conditions combined with some optimism that the Trump administration is open to making trade deals lifted stocks early in the session. —Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025

Market uncertainty has fueled choppy trading in recent weeks, with some analysts suggesting stocks may have been oversold ahead of Trump's announcement, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oversell

• bagatelle
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel

Kids Definition

oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold -ˈsōld  ; overselling

: to sell too much to or of