oversupply

American  

[oh-ver-suh-plahy, oh-ver-suh-plahy] / ˈoʊ vər səˌplaɪ, ˌoʊ vər səˈplaɪ /

noun

plural

oversupplies

1. an excessive supply.

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verb (used with object)

oversupplied, oversupplying

1. to supply in excess.

oversupply British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌsəplaɪ /

noun

1. the supply of too much or too many

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verb

1. (tr) to supply too much (material, etc) or too many (goods, people, etc)

Etymology

Origin of oversupply

First recorded in 1825–35; over- + supply ¹

Example Sentences

The industry had been struggling for years due to severe oversupply and weak demand.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

That has created some oversupply of new homes and helped tilt the market in favor of buyers.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Downtown has suffered from an oversupply of office space since a building spree in the 1980s and early 1990s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

But experts have suggested that such rapid growth also led to lower teaching quality and an oversupply of graduates in the job market.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Gigantic boulders, box-like bluffs, ragged rock-spires, cliffs and plateaus of bare rock were in oversupply.

From The Snow-Burner by Oyen, Henry

Related Words

• glut