oversell

A salesperson oversells the features of a new vacuum cleaner to a customer.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To sell too much or beyond available supply: "oversell" means to sell more of something than is available or can be delivered.
   • To exaggerate the merits of something or someone: "oversell" also means to promote or praise something or someone excessively, often beyond what is true or reasonable.
   • To demand too much of someone: In American usage, "oversell" can mean to make excessive demands on a person's abilities or resources.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The airline oversold the flight, leaving several passengers without seats. (They sold more tickets than seats available.)
  • The salesman oversold the car's fuel efficiency, claiming it could go 100 miles per gallon. (He exaggerated its performance.)
  • She oversold herself in the job interview, promising skills she did not have. (She made excessive claims about her abilities.)

Advanced Usage

• "to oversell a product": to promote a product with exaggerated claims.

  • The company oversold its new software, leading to customer disappointment. (They promised features that did not work.)

• "to oversell one's case": to argue too forcefully or with too much exaggeration.

  • The lawyer oversold his case, making the jury suspicious of his evidence. (He argued with excessive zeal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Oversold (adj): the past participle of "oversell"; describes a situation where too much has been sold or exaggerated.

  • The concert was oversold, and many fans could not enter. (Too many tickets were sold.)

• Overselling (n): the act of selling too much or exaggerating.

  • Overselling of the product led to a loss of trust among customers. (Excessive promotion caused distrust.)

Synonyms

• Exaggerate: to represent something as larger or greater than it actually is.
• Overpromote: to advertise or praise excessively.
• Overstate: to express something too strongly.

Phrasal Verbs

• Oversell on: to persuade someone to believe in something excessively.
  • He oversold his friend on the idea of moving to the city, making it seem perfect. (He convinced his friend with exaggerated claims.)

Related Idioms

• Sell someone a bill of goods: to deceive someone by making false promises.

  • The salesman sold her a bill of goods when he said the car would never break down. (He oversold the car's reliability.)

• Overpromise and underdeliver: to make excessive promises and then fail to meet them.

  • The politician overpromised and underdelivered, losing many votes. (He oversold his plans.)