overstay
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overstays,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overstayed,
past participle, past
-
overstaying
present participle
-
to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of; outstay.
to overstay one's welcome.
-
Finance. to remain in (the market) beyond the point where a sale would have yielded the greatest profit.
verb
-
to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of
-
finance to delay a transaction in (a market) until after the point at which the maximum profit would have been made
-
to stay in New Zealand beyond (the period sanctioned by the immigration authorities or the period of a visitor's permit)
-
to stay (at a party, on a visit, etc), longer than pleases the host or hostess
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overstaysimple
-
overstayssimple
-
have overstayedperfect
-
has overstayedperfect
-
am overstayingprogressive
-
are overstayingprogressive
-
is overstayingprogressive
-
have been overstayingperfect progressive
-
has been overstayingperfect progressive
Past
-
overstayedsimple
-
had overstayedperfect
-
was overstayingprogressive
-
were overstayingprogressive
-
had been overstayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overstay
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.
See Examples For:
“What triggers us to sell a stock is seeing fatigue in the fundamental growth profile. You don’t overstay your welcome.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is concerned about people remaining in the country after visas have expired and says there were more than 538,000 "overstay events" between October 2023 and September 2024.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Wootler said authorities were doing all they could to tackle the growing problem, deporting foreigners who overstay their visa and ensuring those who engage in online crime are "punished by our courts".
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
It’s true that far too many pop records overstay their welcome, but this one is 29 minutes long and the tracklist includes some older material.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
“So we’re going to have to work together to make sure he doesn’t overstay his welcome.”
From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness
“The Visit,” set in motion by a gripping premise, slightly overstays its welcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
This agency covered all aspects of immigration law, including visa fraud, visa overstays and the arrest and removal of people illegally in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Visa overstays by Indians have remained steady at 1.5% since 2016.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025
But in people with chronic pain, inflammation often overstays its welcome.
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2023
And must we be altogether drawn overstays to them?
From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by George Gillespie
It’s come this way before, and it overstayed its welcome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Yiannopoulos, 41, legally entered the United States through New York City in May 2019 but overstayed his visa, DHS said.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Daniel Adongo, 37, who was a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts for two years, overstayed his visa in 2016, the year after his NFL career ended, according to the US authorities.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
It seems as if those most at risk of having their applications rejected would be people who have overstayed temporary visas, but there are no specific categories laid out.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
She glanced toward the steps and found me and Javi trying to squeeze behind the last lingering parents who’d already overstayed their welcome for Move-In Day.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Media provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for allegedly overstaying his visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Now, the government is planning to increase the number of employees at the Immigration Services Agency by about 230 people, aiming to strengthen enforcement against foreigners illegally overstaying.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Charli XCX said the film deals with "the lifespan of art, the idea of... overstaying your welcome in a cultural space".
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
ICE accused Clarke of overstaying his visa and arrested him.
From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2025
The guard opens the door, probably to yell at me for overstaying my welcome, but I’m already making my way out.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
