overpay

/ˌəʊvəˈpeɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌəʊvərˈpeɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌō-vər-ˈpā/ (ame, mw)

overpay — verb

  • overpaypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • overpayshe / she / it
  • overpaidpast simple
  • overpaying-ing form

1. to give more money than the correct price or worth, either for something you buy

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to give more money than the correct price or worth, either for something you buy or to someone you are paying

例句

João overpaid for the used sofa after skipping every other listing.

overpay for + thing bought

The hotel admitted it had overpaid the night guard for two months.

overpay somebody

同義詞
  • pay too much

    plain paraphrase; more flexible, but less compact than 'overpay'

  • overspend

    broader; means spending too much overall, not necessarily paying too much for one item

  • overbid

    used mainly in auctions or formal offers, not in ordinary shopping

反義詞
  • underpay

    opposite when the money goes to a worker or service provider

文法句型

overpay for something

overpay somebody

overpay somebody by [amount]

用法筆記

With a thing, English usually uses 'overpay for'. With a person, English usually uses 'overpay someone'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically about sending an extra amount toward a loan.

常見錯誤

❌I overpaid the jacket.
✅I overpaid for the jacket.
💡use 'for' before the thing you bought.
❌The club overpaid to the singer.
✅The club overpaid the singer.
💡the person receiving too much money is the direct object.

2. to add extra money to a loan installment so the total debt becomes cheaper or fi

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to add extra money to a loan installment so the total debt becomes cheaper or finishes sooner

例句

After her bonus arrived, Ayesha overpaid the mortgage to cut next year's interest.

overpay a mortgage to reduce interest

The bank app let Hui overpay the car loan by fifty dollars.

overpay a loan by [amount]

同義詞
  • make an extra payment

    plain banking phrase; emphasizes the additional amount rather than the single verb

  • pay down

    focuses on reducing the remaining debt, not specifically on exceeding the required installment

  • prepay

    close in finance, but it can mean paying early without paying more than required

反義詞
  • underpay

    pay less than the amount required on the loan

文法句型

overpay a loan

overpay a mortgage by [amount]

overpay a loan to reduce interest

用法筆記

Common in banking and mortgage language. The extra amount is often shown with 'by', and the purpose is usually to lower future interest or shorten the repayment period.

常見錯誤

❌She overpaid her loan with $100.
✅She overpaid her loan by $100.
💡use 'by' to show the extra amount.
❌We prepaid the mortgage every month' (when you mean extra payments).
✅We overpaid the mortgage every month.
💡'prepay' focuses on paying before the due date, while 'overpay' focuses on paying more than required.