overcharge

/ˌəʊvəˈtʃɑːdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌəʊvərˈtʃɑːrdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌō-vər-ˈchärj/ (ame, mw)

overcharge — verb

  • overchargepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • overchargeshe / she / it
  • overchargedpast simple
  • overcharging-ing form

1. to make a customer pay a higher price than is fair, correct, or expected for som

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to make a customer pay a higher price than is fair, correct, or expected for something they buy or for a service they receive

例句

The plumber overcharged Beatriz by almost two hundred dollars for the simple repair.

overcharge somebody by [amount] for [item]

Tourists in busy seaside towns are often overcharged for taxi rides and bottled water.

passive: be overcharged for [item]

同義詞
  • rip off

    informal; stronger sense of deliberate cheating

  • fleece

    informal; suggests systematic, large-scale cheating of someone naive

  • gouge

    American English; suggests exploiting urgent demand to charge unfair prices

反義詞

文法句型

overcharge somebody (for something)

overcharge somebody by [amount]

用法筆記

Frequently passive when the customer is the topic ('I was overcharged'). The amount of the overcharge typically follows 'by'; the item or service follows 'for'.

常見錯誤

❌The shop overcharged me about the shoes.
✅The shop overcharged me for the shoes.
💡the preposition introducing the item is always 'for', not 'about' or 'on'.
❌The waiter overcharged the dinner.
✅The waiter overcharged us for the dinner.
💡the direct object should be the person paying, not the item.

2. to put too much of a substance, electric current, or emotional content into some

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to put too much of a substance, electric current, or emotional content into something, so that it holds more than its safe or intended limit

例句

Darius warned the team not to overcharge the battery, or it would swell and leak.

overcharge [battery / cell]

The old rifle was dangerous because earlier soldiers had overcharged it with too much powder.

overcharge [weapon] with [substance]

同義詞
  • overload

    more common in everyday speech for circuits, vehicles, and people's schedules

  • overfill

    physical containers only; never figurative

  • saturate

    covers full absorption rather than dangerous excess

反義詞

文法句型

overcharge something with something

be overcharged with [substance]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 by the object: here the object is a container, battery, weapon, or text/work — not a person. Most everyday use today is the battery sense; the powder and emotional uses lean technical or literary.

常見錯誤

❌Do not overcharge the battery from too many hours.
✅Do not overcharge the battery by leaving it plugged in too long.
💡describe the action causing the excess, not a duration phrase with 'from'.