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

The store advertised overstock merchandise at up to eighty per cent off: Sketchers for fifteen dollars, Uggs for seventy-nine. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024

Nomad is discounting several excellent cases as part of its ongoing overstock sale, which extends to a slew of Apple accessories and ends on February 25th. —Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024

Verb

As for the rest of you who just want a new mystery or history for the backyard, this summer is overstocked, even more so than the coming fall season. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2024

After the pandemic boom, many overstocked and were left with mountains of unsold inventory. —Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 27 Mar. 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