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Definition of "overcompensate" []

  • To engage in overcompensation. (verb-intransitive)
  • To pay (someone) too much; compensate excessively. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "overcompensate" in a sentence
  • "In the process, it's easy to overcompensate, which is what unnerves me about the niche response to "The Social Network" among people old enough to be Zuckerberg's parents."
  • "It is not uncommon for relatives who live at a distance to try to overcompensate for their absence and perhaps guilty feelings by playing the hero or making a larger than life impact on the situation."
  • "These variations can confuse the oxygen sensors in a car, which can make the fuel injection overcompensate and produce more pollution or even rough-running."