Standard Lemma guide

overstay

noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: OW2 V ER0 S T EY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of staying too long.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To remain present after the agreed or appropriate departure time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To remain present beyond the limits of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He overstayed his welcome.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

stay too long

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • overstay or outstay one's welcome

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: outstay

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bide, abide, stay

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- English stay English overstay From over- + stay.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: заседявам се (zasedjavam se) — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 呆得太久 (dāi de tài jiǔ) — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 逾期停留 (yúqī tíngliú) — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Dutch: langer blijven dan — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Finnish: ylittää aikansa — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Hungarian: túltartózkodik — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Māori: nohoroa — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time
  • Spanish: quedarse más de la cuenta — remain present after the agreed or appropriate time