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overcommit

American

[oh-ver-kuh-mit] / ˌoʊ vər kəˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

overcommitted, overcommitting

to commit more than is feasible, desirable, or necessary.

overcommit British

/ ˌəʊvəkəˈmɪt /

verb

(tr) to promise, undertake, or allocate more than the available resources justify

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

overcommitment

noun

Etymology

Origin of overcommit

First recorded in 1950–55; over- + commit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These guys commit to a bit, and commit, and commit, and overcommit and keep on going.

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2025

The expansion plans so far show a reluctance to overcommit, said Artem Abramov, deputy head of analysis at Rystad Energy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Neither fighter was willing to overcommit early on and Catterall edged the first two rounds with the cleaner work.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025

Instead of jumping into his assignment right away, Rivera said, Davis could have baited the lineman with an intentionally false step, forced him to overcommit and used his athleticism to evade the block altogether.

From Washington Post • Dec. 14, 2022

Bocanegra shifted to the left, and Oguchi Onyewu entered only to overcommit and allow Byers to come in alone on goalkeeper Tim Howard.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023