overpay

verb

over·​pay ˌō-vər-ˈpā How to pronounce overpay (audio)
overpaid ˌō-vər-ˈpād How to pronounce overpay (audio) ; 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Contenders are likely to overpay for a strong bat at the deadline, and Ozuna is sure to draw a lot of interest. Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 The New Jersey Devils president and general manager added necessary depth to his forward group, did not overpay for veterans on the unrestricted free-agent market and left room to extend restricted free agent Luke Hughes, which is his top remaining summer priority. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 9 July 2025 In Maersk’s summer market update released Wednesday morning, the ocean carrier said most companies end up overpaying their tariff rate by 5 to 6 percent. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 2 July 2025 In December 2023, Community agreed to pay $435 million to the United States to resolve a similar allegation that the hospital system defrauded Medicare out of millions of dollars by overpaying doctors in exchange for referrals. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for overpay

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overpay was in 1664

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Cite this Entry

“Overpay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overpay. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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