oversell

O1V4E1R1S1E1L1L1
US/oʊ.vɚ.sɛl/

verb

To agree to sell more of something than one can supply.

“I don't want to oversell it, but [second clause]”

Opposite
undersell
OriginEnglish sell ← Middle English over- ← Old English ofer- →
RareScrabble 11
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Meanings

verboversell (third-person singular simple present oversells, present participle overselling, simple past and past participle oversold)

present singular third person oversells · participle present overselling · participle past oversold · past oversold

  1. transitiveTo agree to sell more of something than one can supply.
  2. transitiveTo be too eager in attempting to sell something.

    Antonyms: undersell

  3. transitiveTo praise something to excess.

    I don't want to oversell it, but [second clause]

    1 more example

    I don't want to oversell it, but you've got to check out that new restaurant on Third Street.

    Antonyms: undersell

  4. obsoletetransitiveTo sell for a higher price than; to exceed in sale price.

    One whose beauty / Would oversell all Italy

    1617, John Fletcher, “The Chances”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be too eager in attempting to sell something.

Opposite
undersell

verbTo praise something to excess.

Opposite
undersell
Also see
overpraise

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Englishsell
  8. Englishoversell

From over- + sell.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish sprzedawać ponad zapasy, sprzedać ponad zapasy
  • sprzedawać ponad zapasyTranslations
  • sprzedać ponad zapasyTranslations
Spanish supervender
  • supervenderTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with oversell

wellhotellsellcelltelleldelpersonneldellNFLshellfellexcelMichellegeldlmotelspellsmellrebelbellemelmichel
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Servello
Cite this entry
APA

oversell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oversell

MLA

“oversell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oversell. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oversell,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oversell.

Source: oversell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.