overbought

American

[oh-ver-bawt] / ˈoʊ vərˈbɔt /

adjective

marked by prices considered unjustifiably high because of extensive buying.

The stock market is overbought now.

verb

simple past tense and past participle of overbuy.

Etymology

Origin of overbought

First recorded in 1955–60; over- + bought

Compare meaning

How does overbought compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

overbought vs. oversold

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But he thought the extreme daily declines for Samsung and SK Hynix shares reflected more that South Korean stocks had become “massively overbought.”

From MarketWatch

“Gold and silver may have done enough for now and need to unwind overbought conditions, but the downside remains limited,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was time for staples to enjoy a catch-up trade, so in the past few weeks many market strategists have noted that the group looks overbought.

From Barron's

Consumer staples are overbought, with the Vanguard ETF up 16% since January, and only 29% of 2026 earnings estimates revisions have been upward.

From Barron's

The Australian dollar looks particularly vulnerable to any stock market turmoil given its stretched overbought position, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023