overpay

American

[oh-ver-pey] / ˌoʊ vərˈpeɪ /

verb (used with object)

overpaid, overpaying

to pay more than (an amount due).

I received a credit after overpaying the bill.
to pay (a person) in excess.

overpay British

/ ˌəʊvəˈpeɪ /

verb

to pay (someone) at too high a rate
to pay (someone) more than is due, as by an error

"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

overpayment noun
unoverpaid adjective

Etymology

Origin of overpay

First recorded in 1595–1605; over- + pay ¹

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.

Discovery, the winning suitor will likely overpay and take on billions in debt, Barron’s Andrew Bary reports.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

She said Epstein would overpay and ask her to get a refund from Columbia to be deposited into her bank account to cover her living expenses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Assuming you did not do that, you could take a smaller sum and overpay your mortgage.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

“I overpay starting from day one when I have a mortgage or a car payment to accelerate payoff.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

My half is $200, and I’m relieved, because it means Babs didn’t overpay me when she fronted me the money the other day.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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