surcharge

1 of 2

verb

sur·​charge ˈsər-ˌchärj 

surcharged; surcharging; surcharges

transitive verb

1

a

: overcharge

b

: to charge an extra fee

c

: to show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given

2

British : overstock

3

: to fill or load to excess

the atmosphere … was surcharged with war hysteria

—H. A. Chippendale

4

a

: to mark a surcharge on (a stamp)

b

: overprint

surcharge a banknote

surcharge

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: an additional tax, cost, or impost

b

: an extra fare

a sleeping car surcharge

c

: an instance of surcharging an account

2

: an excessive load or burden

3

: the action of surcharging : the state of being surcharged

4

a(1)

: an overprint on a stamp

specifically : one that alters the denomination

(2)

: a stamp bearing such an overprint

b

: an overprint on a currency note

Did you know?

The Arab oil embargo of 1973 led airlines to add fuel surcharges to their passenger fares that were large enough to discourage air travel. Surcharges are usually added for special service. When you request a "rush job" from a service supplier, it will probably bring a surcharge along with it. A particularly difficult phone installation may carry a surcharge. An extra-large fine for a speeding offense after you've already had too many tickets could be called a surcharge. An added tax may be called a surcharge (or surtax) when it only affects people with incomes above a certain level. And if those low, low prices that show up in really big letters in ads for all kinds of services turn out to be misleading, it's probably because they don't include a bunch of surcharges that you won't find out about till later.

Synonyms

Verb

• gouge
• overcharge
• soak
• sting

Examples of surcharge in a Sentence

Verb

contends that with the present tax structure, the state's lower-income residents are being surcharged and the wealthiest residents are getting off too lightly

Noun

The airline has added a $20 fuel surcharge on all international flights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Then, in April, the payments giant limited the amount merchants can surcharge to 3%, down from 4%. —Jennifer Surane, Fortune, 30 July 2023

The Connecticut Restaurant Association hasn’t weighed in on whether to repeal the meals surcharge or whether to redirect the tax receipts to towns. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2023

Josephson’s bill would increase that surcharge slightly. —James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Mar. 2022

In addition to sales tax, the governor’s budget language would let New York City collect a $1.50-per-room nightly surcharge on hotel stays. —Jimmy Vielkind, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2021

The Osceola County Clerk of Court will be waiving a 40% collections surcharge during its Operation Green Light from Monday through Nov. 20. —Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, 6 Nov. 2020

The county had a fund balance of $6.6 million in school facilities surcharge revenues at the end of fiscal 2018. —Erin B. Logan, baltimoresun.com, 23 Aug. 2019

The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010 without a single Republican vote, protects Americans from being refused or surcharged for insurance because of their medical history. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2019

Soil surcharging work done ... Over the last two years, the SpaceX site was essentially leveled, loaded with hundreds of tons of soil, plumbed with drainage pipes, and then left alone to have gravity do the rest of the work. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2018

Noun

The fees take many forms — including service charges added to food delivery, overdraft fees on bank accounts and surcharges on sporting event tickets. —Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2023

Pham’s first foray into electoral politics was with passing a local ballot initiative and creating the Portland Clean Energy Fund, a grant program funded by a 1% surcharge on large retailers that pays for things like installing heat pumps. —Julia Shumway, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023

Holtec pays for the Pilgrim decommissioning project largely through a trust account funded by a surcharge on customers’ electric bills during Pilgrim’s operational years. —Mike Damiano, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Aug. 2023

The local drinking water supplier in New Cuyama, the Cuyama Community Services District, is proposing to cover its legal costs by adding a $20-a-month surcharge to bills — a costly burden for many low-income residents. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023

In addition, city officials have begun exploring a ballot measure that could allow the city to enact a local one-cent sales tax surcharge that could generate $400 million per year. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023

The pass does not include taxes, fees, port expenses, gratuities, fuel surcharges, or onboard expenses. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023

Old Dominion Freight Line’s average revenue per hundredweight excluding fuel surcharges, a key measure of pricing strength, rose 8.9% in the third quarter from a year earlier. —Paul Berger, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023

If convicted, Stromberg could face fines and surcharges ranging from $750 to $13,000 and up to six months in jail. —Jon Haworth, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French surcharger, from sur- + charger to load, charge — more at charge entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

surcharge

1 of 2 verb

sur·​charge ˈsər-ˌchärj 

1

a

: overcharge sense 1

b

: to charge an extra fee

2

: overload entry 1

3

: to mark a new value or a surcharge on a stamp

surcharge

2 of 2 noun

1

: an additional tax or charge

2

: a burden that is too great

3

a

: a mark on top of a stamp that changes the value

b

: a stamp bearing such a mark

Legal Definition

surcharge

1 of 2 transitive verb

sur·​charge ˈsər-ˌchärj 

1

: to impose a surcharge on

surcharge a trustee for failing to exercise due care

2

: to show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given

surcharge

2 of 2 noun

1

: an additional or excessive charge

2

: a penalty imposed on a fiduciary for failing to exercise due care in the management of assets