overspend

American  

[oh-ver-spend] / ˌoʊ vərˈspɛnd /

verb (used without object)

overspent, overspending

1. to spend more than one can afford.

   Receiving a small inheritance, she began to overspend alarmingly.

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verb (used with object)

overspent, overspending

1. to spend in excess of.

   He was overspending his yearly salary by several thousand dollars.

2. to spend beyond one's means (used reflexively).

   When the bills arrived, he realized he had foolishly overspent himself.

3. to wear out; exhaust.

overspend British  

verb

1. to spend in excess of (one's desires or what one can afford or is allocated)

2. (tr; usually passive) to wear out; exhaust

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noun

1. the amount by which someone or something is overspent

Etymology

Origin of overspend

First recorded in 1580–90; over- + spend

Example Sentences

While I was happy with the shift in my priorities, I did find myself easily tempted to overspend, just as I had with going out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

That overspend is being artificially held off council budgets until 2028.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

While AJ said they didn’t need to overspend by buying items in bulk, Bernadette’s intuition skewed the exact opposite way.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 25, 2026

He said unfunded pay pressures for teachers for 2025/26 were the reason for much of the anticipated overspend.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

I am never called anything but Mollie, except when I overspend my allowance, and mother feels it her duty to scold me.

From The Fortunes of the Farrells by Vaizey, George de Horne, Mrs.