Overstaying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To extend one's presence in a place past the designated or expected time limit
2. Continuing to stay somewhere after the permitted or usual period of time has ended
3. Lingering in a location longer than what is considered appropriate or accepted

Etymology: "Overstaying" is simply the present participle and gerund of the verb "overstay," so its story is the story of its two parts. The first, "over-," goes back through Old English "ofer" to a Proto-Germanic root, ultimately related to the ancient Indo-European base for "up" and "over." The sense of "going past a limit" is what it brings to almost any verb it attaches to. The second part, "stay," came into English from Old French "ester," meaning to stand or remain, which itself descends from Latin "stare," to stand. A stay was originally a standing still, and to stay was to remain in one place. Joined together, "overstay" means to remain beyond the time or limit allowed. Its earliest English sense is simply that of staying too long, and the modern use with visas and permits is a specific application of that general idea.

Synonyms: lingering, tarrying

Antonyms: departing, leaving