overpromise

verb

over·​prom·​ise ˌō-vər-ˈprä-məs 

overpromised; overpromising

transitive + intransitive

: to promise more than is possible or realistic

Political candidates always overpromise or else the electorate won't bother to show up at their rallies.

—Michael Gomez

… received sharp criticism for overpromising and underperforming.

—Industry Week

Then a change in the Facebook algorithm punished click bait, which can tend to overpromise on what it links to. Steep traffic drops followed.

—Jim Rutenberg

To close a deal, bad vendors tend to overpromise features that they claim will be added down the line but never materialize.

—Michael Kan

Examples of overpromise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Balance is key, so don’t overpromise or spread yourself too thin. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024

According to historians and experts in political speech, Trump’s wildly vacillating rhetoric is unique among presidents — many of whom have overpromised or shifted positions, but few so wildly. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024

The United States has also overpromised on other hot-button issues in the region. —Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2022

Another central point is to not overpromise on the tech just to satisfy investors or get more customers. —Billee Howard, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above