overpay

verb

over·​pay ˌō-vər-ˈpā 

overpaid ˌō-vər-ˈpād  ; overpaying

transitive + intransitive

: to pay too much to someone or for something

… the debate over whether organic foods are a smart choice for healthier living or a marketing tool that gulls people into overpaying.

—Kenneth Chang

It took my husband and me an hour with a representative to figure out we were overpaying for insurance and unlimited data plans.

—Tanisha A. Sykes

Be careful not to overpay state taxes.

—Carl T. Hall

We are not overpaying people; we are paying people what the market demands.

—Renee Glover

overpaid adjective

… fuels the negative stereotype of the overpaid underworked bureaucrat.

—Joann S. Lublin

Examples of overpay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The good news is management seemed to recognize this team’s ceiling and didn’t overpay at the deadline for Band-Aids in exchange for future assets. —Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 May 2026

Score seats to your favorite games and shows without overpaying. —Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

These people were not suggesting that the Texans overpaid for Anderson, but none were shocked his new contract reached $50 million per year. —Jonathan M. Alexander, Houston Chronicle, 3 May 2026

Just west of Denver, the Evergreen foothills corridor further illustrates buyers’ willingness to engage but reluctance to overpay. —Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overpay

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway