oversell

/ˌəʊvəˈsel/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌəʊvərˈsel/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌō-vər-ˈsel/ (ame, mw)

oversell — verb

  • oversellpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • oversellshe / she / it
  • oversoldpast simple
  • overselling-ing form

1. to sell tickets, seats, goods, or bookings in numbers higher than you can actual

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to sell tickets, seats, goods, or bookings in numbers higher than you can actually provide.

例句

The airline oversold the late flight by eight seats.

pattern: oversell + flight + by [number] seats

Before the gates opened, the ticket office had already oversold the concert.

present perfect with oversell for an event

同義詞
  • overbook

    used more for flights, hotels, and other reservation systems

  • oversubscribe

    more formal and common for courses, events, or share offers

  • sell out

    only means nothing is left, not that too much was accepted or sold

文法句型

oversell + flight/concert/ticket

oversell + appointments

be oversold

oversell by + number of seats

用法筆記

Most often describes tickets, seats, rooms, products, or appointment slots. Passive forms are common when the focus is on the people or service affected, and businesses can also oversell without naming the object when it is obvious from context.

常見錯誤

❌The concert oversold in one hour.
✅The concert sold out in one hour.
💡'oversell' means a seller accepted or sold too much, not simply that nothing was left.
❌The flight was oversell by ten seats.
✅The flight was oversold by ten seats.
💡after 'be', English uses the past participle 'oversold'.

2. to describe a product, idea, or person in a way that makes it seem better than i

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to describe a product, idea, or person in a way that makes it seem better than it really is.

例句

The ad oversold the phone's camera, and buyers complained online.

pattern: oversell + product feature

At the launch, Mauricio oversold the app as a complete study solution.

pattern: oversell + something + as + noun phrase

同義詞
  • overhype

    more informal and strongly linked to publicity buzz

  • exaggerate

    broader and not limited to sales or promotion

  • overpromise

    focuses on promising future results rather than praising present qualities

反義詞
  • understate

    means describing something as less impressive than it really is

文法句型

oversell + product/idea/person

oversell + something + as + noun phrase

用法筆記

Usually takes the thing being promoted as its object, such as a product, plan, person, or result. It often suggests that advertising, sales talk, or self-promotion created expectations that reality could not match.

常見錯誤

❌The brochure oversold about the hotel.
✅The brochure oversold the hotel.
💡use the thing being promoted as the direct object, not 'oversell about'.
❌The shoes oversold in one day.
✅The ad oversold the shoes.
💡this sense is about exaggerated promotion, not simply selling everything quickly.