overspend

[oh-ver-spend]

verb (used without object), o·ver·spent, o·ver·spend·ing.

to spend more than one can afford: Receiving a small inheritance, she began to overspend alarmingly.

verb (used with object), o·ver·spent, o·ver·spend·ing.

to spend in excess of: He was overspending his yearly salary by several thousand dollars.

to spend beyond one's means (used reflexively): When the bills arrived, he realized he had foolishly overspent himself.

to wear out; exhaust.

Origin of overspend

First recorded in 1580–90; over- + spend

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for overspend

Contemporary Examples of overspend

Or it might make you overspend on cars and helicopters and lead you to early, penniless death.
Will Winning the Mega Millions Kill You? (Science Says No.)
Kent Sepkowitz
December 17, 2013
"Thou shalt not overspend" is rapidly becoming a tenet of the evangelical belief system, rivaling social issues like gay marriage.
Evangelicals Preach the Gospel of Getting Out of Debt
Lisa Miller
February 26, 2011

Historical Examples of overspend

I am never called anything but Mollie, except when I overspend my allowance, and mother feels it her duty to scold me.
The Fortunes of the Farrells
Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey

British Dictionary definitions for overspend

overspend

verb (ˌəʊvəˈspɛnd) -spends, -spending or -spent

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

(tr; usually passive) to wear out; exhaust

noun (ˈəʊvəˌspɛnd)

the amount by which someone or something is overspent

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

Word Origin and History for overspend

1610s, "to wear out," from over- + spend. Meaning "to spend more than is necessary" is attested from 1857. Related: Overspent; overspending.