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

Noun

• end
• fag end
• oddment
• remainder
• remnant
• scrap
• stub

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

Save your leftovers: Consider packing up half of your meal to avoid extra calories and save money on a future meal. —Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 24 June 2025

Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 23 June 2025

Adjective

It's thought to be a classical nova, an outburst in a binary system where a white dwarf (the dense leftover core of a dying sun-like star) and an expanding red giant star orbit each other. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

Shields’s signature crab cake, named for his grandmother, Gertie, and based upon her recipe, tastes exactly like the kind Baltimoreans make at home, using leftover meat from a summer crab feast with just enough mayonnaise, egg, and saltine crackers to hold it together. —Christina Tkacik, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 June 2025

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