noun
excessive competition; cutthroat competition
Refers to competition that goes beyond healthy limits, often in business contexts, leading to negative outcomes like price wars or market instability.
過当競争の結果、多くの中小企業が倒産した。
As a result of excessive competition, many small and medium-sized enterprises went bankrupt.
この業界では過当競争が問題になっている。
Excessive competition has become a problem in this industry.
A yojijukugo composed of 過当 (excessive) and 競争 (competition). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a modern compound used in economic and business discourse.