allover

1 of 4

adjective

all·​over ˈȯl-ˌō-vər 

: covering the whole extent or surface

a sweater with an allover pattern

allover

2 of 4

noun

1

: an embroidered, printed, or lace fabric with a design covering most of the surface

2

: a pattern or design in which a single unit is repeated so as to cover an entire surface

all over

3 of 4

adverb

1

: over the whole extent

decorated all over with a flower pattern

2

: everywhere

looked all over for the book

3

: in every respect : thoroughly

she is her mother all over

all over

4 of 4

preposition

1

informal : in eagerly affectionate, attentive, or aggressive pursuit of (someone or something)

the band's fans were all over them

2

informal : very critical of (someone) in usually an angry or unreasonable way

the press was all over the coach after the loss

Synonyms of allover

Adverb

• everywhere
• all over the place
• far and near
• in every corner
• on all hands

Examples of allover in a Sentence

Adjective

a rug with an allover pattern

Adverb

I've looked all over—even outside—and I can't find my other shoe.

his writing style is his mentor's all over

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There’s also the Mignon bag, which is made to order and comes decked in an allover print of a 2024 illustration. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026

Crafted from rigid denim with an allover floral garden print, the jacket ($150) features a faux leather collar, long sleeves and a full-zip front closure, while the matching jeans ($80) include a classic five-pocket design and an embroidered Met logo on the left leg. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Dec. 2025

Noun

The collection also includes cotton pajama sets in solid pink and an allover Hello Kitty print, priced at $170. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026

Instead of allover stripes, expect to see razor-thin metallic stripes (like the barcode nail trend coming out of South Korea), curved bands that arc diagonally across a sheer base, or contrasting matte and gloss stripes layered in the same shade for a barely-there effect. —Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026

Adverb

Wearing rubber gloves, use a sponge to spread the mixture all over the bottom of the oven. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2026

Moving out of old tracks to fancy new ones all over the country alienated a large portion of its core constituency. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026

Preposition

Designed by eccentric furniture designer Max Lamb, these monastically narrow and profoundly uncomfortable seats are the kind of pieces that fill penthouses and palazzos all over the world. —Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026

The federal government also funded more than a hundred thousand programs across the country and, relying on rudimentary punch-card computers, kept track of everything going on everywhere and made that information available all over. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1771, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Preposition

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for allover

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover

Kids Definition

allover

1 of 3 adjective

all·​over

ˈȯ-ˌlō-vər

: covering the whole surface of something

a sweater with an allover pattern

all over

2 of 3 adverb

: everywhere

all over

3 of 3 preposition

informal

1

: in very affectionate, attentive, or aggressive pursuit of

the band's fans were all over them

2

: in or into a state marked by all-out criticism of

reporters were all over the coach after the loss