leftover

1 of 2

noun

left·​over ˈleft-ˌō-vər 

1

: something that remains unused or unconsumed

especially : leftover food served at a later meal

—usually used in plural

2

: an anachronistic survival : vestige

leftover

2 of 2

adjective

: not consumed or used

leftover food

leftover space

Synonyms of leftover

Noun

• remainder
• scrap
• remnant

Examples of leftover in a Sentence

Noun

Are we having leftovers again?

The law is a leftover from earlier times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Foreign Tongues was built around leftover material from the Hackney Diamonds sessions, and the two albums are such mirror images of one another that they may as well have been released together, Use Your Illusion-style. — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

For the main course, don’t be afraid to order two dishes and make plans for leftovers. — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 12 July 2026

Adjective

Much of the debris that clouds the water in this technique is leftover detergent and fabric softener that build up in fabric fibers over time, according to the article. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 12 July 2026

The rest goes into a stock pot with leftover frozen celery tops, onion skins and maybe the odd garlic clove. — Malaka Gharib, NPR, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for leftover

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

Kids Definition

leftover

noun

left·​over

ˈlef-ˌtō-vər

: something remaining

especially : food left over from one meal and served at another

—usually used in plural

leftover adjective