Oversaving

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. The act of accumulating money or resources beyond reasonable needs or practical purposes
2. A behavior characterized by keeping more funds or materials than necessary to an extreme degree
3. The tendency to conserve wealth or assets excessively, often more than is beneficial

Etymology: "Oversave" is formed by attaching the prefix "over-" to "save," and "oversaving" is simply its present participle and gerund form. The prefix "over-" comes from Old English "ofer," meaning "above" or "beyond," and it has long been used to mean an excess of whatever action follows it, as in "overeat" or "overspend." "Save" comes from Old French "sauver," which in turn derives from Latin "salvare," meaning "to make safe" or "to preserve," the same root behind "salvation" and "salvage." Put together, "oversaving" describes putting money or resources aside past the point of any sensible need. The word is a transparent coinage built from familiar parts, so its meaning follows directly from the combination: saving beyond what is reasonable or useful. Its literal sense of "making safe to excess" shows how a word about protection can turn into a description of hoarding.

Synonyms: hoarding, overaccumulating

Antonyms: undersaving, spending