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 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

What started with a leftover pack of meme stickers from high school turned into a mission to cover every surface in the place. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Here’s how to find the best donation option for your leftover paint. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The remnants of Hurricane Marie fueled dangerous surf conditions Tuesday along the coast of Southern California, and leftover tropical moisture is driving up temperatures and humidity across the region this week. — Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

This violates right-to-delete laws, and worse, hackers can reverse-engineer those leftover AI files to steal sensitive health data. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 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