over

1 of 5

adverb

1
a
: across a barrier or intervening (see intervene sense 4) space
especially : across the goal line in football
threw the ball over
b
: forward beyond an edge or brink and often down
wandered too near the cliff and fell over
c
: across the brim
soup boiled over
d
: so as to bring the underside up
turned his cards over
e
: from a vertical to a prone or inclined position
knocked the lamp over
f
: from one person or side to another
hand it over
g
: across
got his point over
h
: to one's home
invite some friends over
i
: on the other side of an intervening (see intervene sense 4) space
the next town over
j
: to agreement or concord
won them over
2
a(1)
: beyond some quantity, limit, or norm often by a specified amount or to a specified degree
show ran a minute over
(2)
: in an excessive manner : inordinately
over-conservative traditionalistsJohn Arlott
b
: till a later time (such as the next day) : overnight
stay over
sleep over
3
a
: above
The plane was directly over.
b
: so as to cover the whole surface
windows boarded over
4
used on a two-way radio circuit to indicate that a message is complete and a reply is expected
5
a
: through
read it over
also : in an intensive or comprehensive manner
talked the matter over with his wife
b
: once more : again
do it over
Let's start over from the beginning.

over

2 of 5

preposition

1
used as a function word to indicate motion or situation in a position higher than or above another
towered over his mother
flew over the lake
rode over the old Roman road
2
a
used as a function word to indicate the possession of authority, power, or jurisdiction in regard to some thing or person
respected those over him
b
used as a function word to indicate superiority, advantage, or preference
a big lead over the others
c
used as a function word to indicate one that is overcome, circumvented, or disregarded
passed over the governor's veto
3
a
: more than
cost over $5
4
a
used as a function word to indicate position upon or movement down upon
laid a blanket over the child
hit him over the head
b(1)
: all through or throughout
showed me over the house
went over his notes
(2)
used as a function word connecting one mathematical set and another whose elements are coefficients or values of parameters used to form elements of the first set
polynomials over the field of real numbers
c
used as a function word to indicate a particular medium or channel of communication
over the radio
5
a
used as a function word to indicate position on or motion to the other side or beyond
lives over the way
fell over the edge
b
: past or beyond (something) : done with and no longer experiencing
On that day Lily was over the worst of the fever, and he had been able to tell Mrs. Dale that he did not think that she was now in danger.Anthony Trollope
c
: no longer interested in or concerned about (someone or something)
… she had already filed New York State paperwork for a legal separation and was constantly on the phone with her new, non-Catholic, nonmusical boyfriend in Manhattan, reassuring him, every day, that she was so, so over Stephen.Jonathan Franzen
I think I'm over "It's a Wonderful Life," at least for this year. Fortunately, there is another classic Jimmy Stewart Christmas film to enjoy.Jay Powell
6
a
: throughout, during
over the past 25 years
b
: until the end of
stay over Sunday
7
a
used as a function word to indicate an object of solicitude, interest, consideration, or reference
the Lord watches over his own
b
used as a function word to indicate the object of an expressed or implied occupation, activity, or concern
trouble over money
met with advisers over lunch

over

3 of 5

adjective

1
a
c
: excessive
over imagination
2
a
: not used up : remaining
something over to provide for unusual requirementsJ. A. Todd
b
: having or showing an excess or surplus
3
: being at an end
the day is over
4
: fried on both sides
ordered two eggs over
5
: no longer current, popular, or fashionable
Over nearly two decades, the once funky Savoy has quietly grown up in SoHo. But as the fickle glitterati have begun to spurn the area for being "so over," Savoy has only gotten more self-assured.Gourmet

over

4 of 5

verb

overed; overing ˈō-və-riŋ How to pronounce over (audio)
ˈōv-riŋ

transitive verb

: to leap over

over-

5 of 5

prefix

1
: so as to exceed or surpass
overachieve
2
: excessive
overstimulation
3
: to an excessive degree
overthin
Phrases
over easy
: fried on one side then turned and fried lightly on the other side
eggs over easy

Examples of over in a Sentence

Adverb The wall's too high for us to climb over. We came to a stream and jumped over. She leaned over and kissed him. She knocked over the lamp. A couple of trees fell over during the storm. The baby rolled over onto his stomach. Preposition The sun's coming up over the mountain. She looked at him over the top of her glasses. Their balcony looks out over the city. He looked over the fence. A plane was flying low over the trees. The meat was cooked over an open fire. She slung the bag over her shoulder. His hat was pulled low over his eyes. Throw the rocks over the side of the boat. He fell over the cliff's edge. Adjective When is this class over? And before we knew it, the storm was over. When it's over, it's over. You don't get a second chance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
The days of seeing 50 different designers on a carpet are over. Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 The freshman guard groped at her left ankle, writhing back and forth in agony, rolling into the fetal position as a trainer rushed over and sat her up. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 9 Mar. 2024 Kate was eliminated and revealed as the last traitor, but the game wasn’t over just yet. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 The primaries are over and California has made one decision for certain: For the first time in 30 years, the Golden State will not send a woman to the Senate. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The tit-for-tat arguments—over, say, who gets to shower first—that have been associated with the sibling relationship for decades are not going away completely. Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 On screens, Smith finished the season with the third-most YAC over expected on screens (+71), behind only Rachaad White and Deebo Samuel, per NextGen Stats. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The tour is over, but Z and Law are still pulling out all the stops on the red carpet. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 The era of treating advertising as just another commodity trade is over, with attention now turned toward optimizing advertising effectiveness. Aleks Farseev, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Preposition
The 2024 Miami Film Festival will celebrate more than 180 feature narratives, documentaries, and short films of all genres, from over 31 countries worldwide, featuring 10 World Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, five U.S. Premieres, and 11 East Coast Premieres, and 42 Florida Premieres. William Earl, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 In Germany and Italy, the company allows households to pay off their heat pump over 10 to 15 years, but those plans include interest. Olivia Rudgard, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 Egg My Yard events are gaining popularity nationwide, with organizations holding similar initiatives in over 30 states. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, the presence of the U.S.-led task force has meant that some shipping can continue; on average, over a million metric tons of trade still transit the strait each day. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 The retailer operates more than 2,700 stores globally, including over 1,000 independent store locations in the United States. Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The families have offered to settle with Jones for $85 million paid over 10 years. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The viewerships of several are up this year over last. Travis Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 An aging and declining population is a cause for concern over national security issues and can cause economic challenges for the country. USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Part of the reason for that was an over reliance on this global supply chain overwhelmingly centered in China. Michael Lee, Fox News, 14 Sep. 2023 The combination of their long-time friends from the over years and their recent friends was a beautiful, eclectic bunch from various facets of life all coming together to celebrate. Emily Strohm, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023 But the unemployment rate the over past year has been consistently lower than any point since the 1950s. Ben Ritz, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023 Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, European governments have frantically scrambled to free themselves from an over-dependence on Russian natural gas. Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2023 Plans are underway to prepare for the 329 medal events next summer, but there are accessibility and transportation concerns in the over 2000 year old city. CNN, 31 Aug. 2023 Men still have rusty social skills from the social isolation of COVID, an over reliance on dating apps means more men talk to women online than offline, and men are more timid to approach than ever, after the #MeToo movement. Debbi Compton, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2023 Bally’s pushes Medinah temporary casino opening to September Anyone who took the over bet on when the Bally’s Chicago temporary casino at Medinah Temple would open is looking like a winner. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023 The over ear cans also offer an up to 20-hour battery life. Ellen McAlpine, Men's Health, 11 July 2023
Verb
He's edged out by Jack Ma, founder of the e-commerce firm Alibaba and China's second-richest person, who saw his net worth grow by $3 billion to over $41 billion in the same period. Grady McGregor, Fortune, 27 May 2020 Combining salt with other seasonings, like herbs and spices, can also help reduce the need to over sprinkle. Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, 6 Apr. 2020 Polar Bear Nylon Solar Backpack Light, simple to carry, difficult to over pack and insulated enough for a full day at the beach, this might be the perfect backpack cooler. Christine Ryan, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2019 Since then, the number of cases has exploded to over a quarter of a million. Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 3 Apr. 2020 The trade imbalance will only get worse, the ASMI report said, as Russia aims to nearly double the value of its global seafood exports by 2024 to over $8 billion. Anchorage Daily News, 18 Feb. 2020 The president’s legal team has 24 hours to over a three-day period to give its case. Kerry Picket, Washington Examiner, 24 Jan. 2020 Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Darlene, Detroit Free Press, 19 Oct. 2019 One area overs parts of Chilton and extreme southern Shelby counties. Leigh Morgan, al, 31 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adverb, Preposition, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English ofer; akin to Old High German ubar (preposition) above, beyond, over, Latin super, Greek hyper

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of over was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near over

Cite this Entry

“Over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/over. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

over

1 of 4 adverb
1
a
: across a barrier or space
fly over to London
b
: in a direction down or forward and down
fell over
c
: across the brim
soup boiled over
d
: so as to bring the underside up
turned his cards over
e
: from one person or side to another
hand it over
f
: to one's home
ask them over
g
: at a distance from a certain point
two streets over
h
: to agreement
won them over
2
: across entry 1 sense 3
got their point over
3
a
: beyond a limit
the show ran a minute over
b
: more than needed : too many or too much
over fond of food
c
: till a later time (as the next day) : overnight
stay over
sleep over
4
: so as to cover the whole surface
windows boarded over
5
used in a two-way radio transmission to indicate that a message is complete and a reply is expected
6
a
: through entry 2 sense 2a
read it over
b
: once more : again
do it over

over

2 of 4 preposition
ˌō-vər,
ˈō-
1
: higher than : above
towered over my mother
flew over the lake
2
a
: above in authority, power, or worth
respected those over us
b
: in front of : ahead of, beyond
a big lead over the others
3
: more than
cost over $5
4
a
: down upon especially so as to cover
laid a blanket over the child
b
: all through or throughout
all over town
went over her notes
c
: on or along the surface of
over the road
5
a
: across entry 2 sense 1
jump over a stream
b
: to or on the other side of
climb over the fence
c
: down from : off
fell over the edge
6
: during
over the past 25 years
7
used to indicate an object of concern
trouble over money
8
: by means of
heard the news over the radio

over

3 of 4 adjective
ˈō-vər,
ˌō-
1
: having or being more than is needed or expected
the balance was $3 over
2
: brought or having come to an end
the day is over

over-

4 of 4 prefix
1
: so as to be greater, better, or stronger than
2
: so as to be too much or too great
Words from over-

overabundance, overabundant, overambitious, overanxious, overbake, overbold, overburden, overcareful, overcautious, overcomplicate, overcomplicated, overconfidence, overconfident, overconfidently, overconscientious, overcook, overcount, overcritical, overdecorate, overdependence, overdependent, overdramatic, overeager, overeagerness, overemphasis, overemphasize, overenthusiastic, overexaggerate, overexaggeration, overexcite, overexcited, overexert, overexertion, overfamiliar, overfat, overfertilization, overgenerous, overhasty, overheat, overindulge, overindulgence, overindulgent, overlarge, overload, overlong, overmodest, overnice, overpay, overpayment, overpopulate, overpopulation, overpraise, overproduce, overproduction, overprotect, overprotection, overprotective, overprotectiveness, overreact, overreaction, overrefined, overrefinement, oversensitive, oversensitiveness, oversensitivity, overspecialization, overspecialize, overstuff, oversubtle, oversuspicious, overtax, overtaxation, overtip, overtired, overtrain, overwater, overwind, overwithhold, overzealous, overzealousness

Etymology

Prefix

from over (adverb or adjective)

Legal Definition

over

adjective
: based on the termination or failure of a prior estate
a limitation over
see also gift over at gift

More from Merriam-Webster on over

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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