overstock

1 of 2

noun

over·​stock ˈō-vər-ˌstäk 

plural overstocks

: a surplus of stock : an excessively large inventory of goods

Dealers were reminded at the fall Comdex show that they could lose their contracts if they were caught selling their overstock of PCs … to unauthorized dealers.

—David Stamps

A group of women from the fashion industry got together to buy designer overstocks for men, women and children and sell them at a discount on the Internet.

—Jill Sabulis

overstock

2 of 2

verb

over·​stock ˌō-vər-ˈstäk 

overstocked; overstocking

1

transitive + intransitive : to stock too much or too many of (something) : to get or have excess inventory of (a good or goods)

The big, reputable department stores frequently overstock designers' wares for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.

—John Heilemann

discounting overstocked merchandise

Don't overstock. Sure, you don't want to run out of product. … But tying up all your capital in inventory can turn your company into the Titanic.

—Michelle Goodman

2

transitive : to provide (something or someone) with too large a supply of something

Supermarkets are already overstocking their shelves with traditional Thanksgiving food items.

—Michelle Singletary

Retailers try to walk a fine line between threatening their profits by overstocking their stores—as happened the last couple of years—and running out of popular gift items, which means lost sales.

—Jenny Strasburg

… many American cities are overstocked with … office and residential space.

—Don McLeod

… we agonized about overstocking the list with luxurious French restaurants, big-city restaurants, or those with famous chefs.

—Gourmet

Examples of overstock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Liquidity Services works with eight of the nation’s 10 largest retailers, bringing their overstock and returned goods to the warehouses and reselling them. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Nov. 2024

This is an overstock sale, but the products can still be returned and support Nomad's two-year warranty. —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024

Verb

Conversely, if an item is overstocked, dropping the price slightly might incentivize customers to grab it. —Burc Tanir, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

These items are either overstocked from Coach stores or specifically manufactured for the outlet. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1710, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

overstock

verb

over·​stock

-ˈstäk

: to stock more than there is need or room for

stores overstocked with toys

overstock

ˈō-vər-ˌstäk

noun