oversubscribe

/ˌō-vər-səb-ˈskrīb/ (ame, mw)

oversubscribe — verb

  • oversubscribepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • oversubscribes3rd person singular
  • oversubscribing-ing form
  • oversubscribedpast simple

1. to sign up for more places than can actually be provided.

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to sign up for more places than can actually be provided.

例句

Parents oversubscribed the city's summer swim classes on the first morning.

pattern: oversubscribe + classes on opening day

Students oversubscribed the coding camp before the school website slowed down.

同義詞
  • overbook

    used more for flights, hotels, and other reservation systems

  • oversell

    common for tickets, seats, or products, with a stronger commercial tone

  • sell out

    focuses on everything being gone, not specifically on requests beyond capacity

反義詞
  • underfill

    describes a course or event that fails to attract enough people

文法句型

oversubscribe + course/workshop/tour

oversubscribe + issue/offering

be oversubscribed

用法筆記

Common with courses, public offerings, and ticketed events where demand is higher than the number of available places. Passive forms are frequent when the focus is on the offer or event rather than on the people requesting it.

常見錯誤

❌The airline oversubscribed the Friday flight by ten seats.
✅The airline overbooked the Friday flight by ten seats.
💡'overbook' is the usual verb for travel reservations; 'oversubscribe' is more formal and is often used for shares, courses, or limited places.
❌The workshop oversubscribe in one hour.
✅The workshop was oversubscribed in one hour.
💡when the course or event is the subject, English usually uses the passive form.