overstay

UK: /ˌəʊvə^rˈsteɪ/ US: /ˌoʊvɚˈsteɪ/ ,(ō′vər stā′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

o•ver•stay /ˌoʊvɚˈsteɪ/   v. [~ + object]

1. to stay beyond the proper time, limit, or extent of:
   The guests have overstayed their welcome (= they have stayed longer than they were welcome to stay).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

o•ver•stay  (ō′vər stā′), v.t. 

1. to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of;
   outstay:
   to overstay one's welcome.
2. [Finance.] to remain in (the market) beyond the point where a sale would have yielded the greatest profit.

• over- + stay¹ 1640–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

overstay / ˌəʊvəˈsteɪ/ verb (transitive)

1. to stay beyond the time, limit, or duration of
2. overstay one's welcome, outstay one's welcome ⇒ to stay (at a party, on a visit, etc) longer than pleases the host or hostess