oversupply

1 of 2

noun

over·​sup·​ply ˈō-vər-sə-ˌplī 

plural oversupplies

: an excessive supply : an amount of something (such as a good) that is more than is needed or wanted

… if there is an oversupply of herring on a given day, the shrewd fishmonger will lower his price …

—Robert Kuttner

Although this means better and cheaper jug wines for consumers, the 122,000 acres of wine grapes coming into production over the next three years could well lead to oversupplies.

—Daniel Sogg

an oversupply of applicants for the available jobs

Information is in oversupply, and the audience wants someone who can help make sense of it.

—Joanne Ostrow

oversupply

2 of 2

verb

over·​sup·​ply ˌō-vər-sə-ˈplī 

oversupplied; oversupplying

transitive verb

: to supply (something, such as a commodity) in excess

The OPEC nations have been oversupplying crude oil for more than two years, seemingly in an attempt to drive their main competitors—US shale oil and gas producers—out of business.

—Jackson Stiles

: to provide (someone or something) with more than is needed or wanted

manufacturers oversupplying the market

oversupplied adjective

… the inevitable result of spilling a million workers into an already oversupplied low-wage labor market …

—Jeff Faux

Synonyms of oversupply

Noun

• surplus
• excess

Examples of oversupply in a Sentence

Noun

an oversupply of new homes is helping to drive down housing prices

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Global milk prices have crashed, driven by a massive oversupply, causing prices to plummet below production costs and threatening many small-to-mid-sized dairy farms. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026

But for context, the year started with the lowest pricing levels since the pandemic because of a fundamental global oversupply and a relative lack of geopolitical disruptions. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

Verb

Houk was one of numerous Coloradans caught up in what federal investigators say was a years-long scheme by Zynex to oversupply medical devices and overbill patients seeking opioid-free pain relief. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026

Oil prices notched their biggest annual loss since the Covid-19 pandemic last year, partly due to oversupply concerns, ratcheting up the pressure on Big Oil’s commitment to shareholder returns. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1833, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1865, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing oversupply

• in oversupply

Rhymes for oversupply

• acidify
• alveoli
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify
• indemnify

Kids Definition

oversupply

noun

over·​sup·​ply

-sə-ˈplī

: a supply that is too large : surplus