oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold ˌō-vər-ˈsōld  ; overselling

transitive verb

1

a

: to sell too much or too many to

b

: to sell too much or too many of

2

: to make excessive claims for

oversell

ˈō-vər-ˌsel 

noun

Examples of oversell in a Sentence

Hotels routinely oversell their rooms, expecting a small percentage of no-shows.

Don't oversell yourself in the job interview.

The salesman oversold the features on the new model.

Recent Examples on the Web

Negative investor sentiment and oversold conditions are the right setup for a rebound, but the timing of a bounce remains elusive because bond yields need to come down. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

But is cottage cheese good for you in every context, or does the trend oversell what a scoop of curds can actually do? — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

The ones who oversell their AI transformation will lose deals to platforms that were built for this moment. — Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

But Gareth Fry’s thundering, rumbling sound design too often oversells the suspense. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oversell

• bagatelle
• calomel
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• coronel
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle

Kids Definition

oversell

verb

over·​sell ˌō-vər-ˈsel 

oversold -ˈsōld  ; overselling

: to sell too much to or of