overstay
Americanverb (used with object)
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overstays,
present (3rd person singular)
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overstayed,
past participle, past
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overstaying
present participle
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to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of; outstay.
to overstay one's welcome.
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Finance. to remain in (the market) beyond the point where a sale would have yielded the greatest profit.
verb
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to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of
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finance to delay a transaction in (a market) until after the point at which the maximum profit would have been made
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to stay in New Zealand beyond (the period sanctioned by the immigration authorities or the period of a visitor's permit)
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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
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overstaysimple
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overstayssimple
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have overstayedperfect
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has overstayedperfect
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am overstayingprogressive
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are overstayingprogressive
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is overstayingprogressive
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have been overstayingperfect progressive
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has been overstayingperfect progressive
Past
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overstayedsimple
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had overstayedperfect
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was overstayingprogressive
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were overstayingprogressive
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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
There are also individuals who arrive legally, for example via a work or study visa, and then overstay their limit.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
In Uganda, Akello said she had travelled to Sweden in the past year and did not overstay her visa.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Likewise, a visa overstay isn’t a foreign mission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
“Sorry. Homeland Security doesn’t like it if you overstay your visa.”
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
In December, the U.S. expanded travel restrictions to include people from more than two dozen African nations, citing concerns about visa overstays and a need for more rigorous vetting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
Visa overstays by Indians have remained steady at 1.5% since 2016.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025
Before “Night Swim” overstays its gimmick — the pool is haunted! — and begins to prune, it plays like the best “dollar baby” ever made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
There is something Leni Riefenstahl-esque about the vision of a despot authoritatively spouting unintelligible — either by design or accident — verbiage, but a little goes a long way, and the scene overstays its welcome.
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2023
There broad-armed oaks, the copses' maze, The cold sea-wind detain; Here sultry Summer overstays When Autumn chills the plain.
From Poems Household Edition by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Department of Homeland Security says he entered the country legally in 2022 but overstayed by more than four years, that he has no pending applications and that he accepted voluntary departure.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
Many Romanians involved in the crimes are in the U.S. illegally, authorities say, having overstayed visas, failed to show for asylum hearings or sneaked over the border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Daniel Adongo, the first Kenyan to play in the NFL, overstayed his visa after his brief career with the Indianapolis Colts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 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
Perhaps that's my greatest social crime, I've overstayed my hibernation, since there's a possibility that even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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
ICE accused Clarke of overstaying his visa and arrested him.
From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2025
Still, unlike Boxer, Wilson supports term limits, as a way to infuse fresh blood into the political system and prevent too many over-the-hill incumbents from heedlessly overstaying their time in office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 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
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