SINCE 1828
over
adverb
\ ˈō-vər
\
\
Definition of over
(Entry 1 of 5)
1a
: 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
2a(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 traditionalists— John Arlott
b
: till a later time (such as the next day) : overnight
stay over sleep over
3a
: 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
over
prepositionDefinition of over (Entry 2 of 5)
1
—used as a function word to indicate motion or situation in a position higher than or above another towered over his motherflew over the lakerode over the old Roman road
2a
—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
3a
: more than
cost over $5
b
: above sense 4
4a
—used as a function word to indicate position upon or movement down upon laid a blanket over the childhit 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
5a
—used as a function word to indicate position on or motion to the other side or beyond lives over the wayfell 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
6a
: throughout, during
over the past 25 years
b
: until the end of
stay over Sunday
7a
—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 moneymet with advisers over lunch
over
adjectiveDefinition of over (Entry 3 of 5)
2a
: not used up : remaining
something over to provide for unusual requirements— J. 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 easy
: fried on one side then turned and fried lightly on the other side
eggs over easy
over
verb
overed;
overing\ ˈō-və-riŋ
, ˈōv-riŋ \
, ˈōv-riŋ \
Definition of over (Entry 4 of 5)
: to leap over
over-
prefixDefinition of over- (Entry 5 of 5)
1
: so as to exceed or surpass
overachieve
2
: excessive
overstimulation
3
: to an excessive degree
overthin
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Synonyms & Antonyms for over
Synonyms: Adverb
Synonyms: Preposition
Synonyms: Adjective
complete, completed, concluded, done, down, ended, finished, over with, terminated, through, up
Antonyms: Preposition
Antonyms: Adjective
continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished
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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
Turn again, move over indirect heat, and brush with remaining sauce. — Rick Martinez, Bon Appetit, "Spicy Grilled Cauliflower Steaks," 29 Aug. 2017 The fun part was just that all of our teammates were over at the movie theater (to watch the fight) having a good time; their wives, girlfriends, and all of that. — Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times, "About that Russell Wilson/The Money Team picture. …," 28 Aug. 2017 Justin Graham and Pam Statz also lived in a small house that didn't leave too much room to invite friends and family over. — Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, "Get inside 24 rentable granny flats: Portland's Accessory Dwelling Unit Tour (photos)," 28 Aug. 2017 As Albert Einstein said, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. — Dan Labbe, cleveland.com, "Joe Thomas ranked No. 16 on ESPN's top 100 NFL players list," 28 Aug. 2017 Four rounds of chemotherapy had left her numb in places and weak all over, and with sores forming in her mouth. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Her season lost to cancer, Roncalli athlete runs one last race — for Audrey," 26 Aug. 2017 AHAVA’s Diamond Glow Luxurious Day Cream utilizes actual diamond dust to impart an all-over radiant glow to the skin. — Wendy Gould, Allure, "12 Luxury Beauty Launches to Satisfy Your Inner Rich Bitch This Fall," 24 Aug. 2017 An older man rushed over to hold Powe, a friend of his. — John Diedrich, jsonline.com, "'No face, no case': How one man tried to permanently silence the witnesses to his crimes," 18 Aug. 2017 All over, gas stations are being bulldozed to make way for new mixed-use apartment buildings in growing neighborhoods like Hollywood and Koreatown. — Neal Broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "Developers Have Uncovered a Brilliant Use for LA’s Old Gas Stations," 16 Aug. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
There was an all-over orange outfit that followed, with a standout Dries Van Noten bag, and then an especially wacky, animated Walter Von Beirendonck jacket made to look like a crude skeleton. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Lil Uzi Vert Even Gets Dressed Up to Go to the Dentist," 8 May 2019 The dress is sleeveless (still scary for me at times), has an all-over print, and is oversize. — Kellie Brown, Teen Vogue, "What to Pack for Spring Break According to Fashion Blogger Kellie Brown," 25 Mar. 2019 To get that lit-from-within, all-over glow, add a couple of drops of your choice metallic to a primer, tinted moisturizer, or foundation for sheer holographic radiance. — Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, "These Color-Changing Drops Will Turn Your Makeup Holographic," 21 Mar. 2017 Scrivo suggests the balayage technique rather than an all-over shade change or foils. — Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping, "How Young Is Too Young to Dye Your Kid's Hair?," 15 Oct. 2018 But Kerr clearly has no interest in all-over blonde. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Miranda Kerr Got Face-Framing Highlights Straight Out of 2001," 21 Sep. 2018 To channel the leader of the Pussycats, find an anchor item with an all-over leopard pattern (like a bodysuit) to build your outfit around. — Ana Colón, Glamour, "7 Easy Halloween Costumes That Are Very 2018," 4 Oct. 2018 Subtle rose-gold hints perfectly compliment light brown hair, so instead of doing an all-over dye, try some subtle highlights. — Lillian Chen, Seventeen, "8 Super Cute Fall Hair Color Trends That Will Make You Crave a PSL," 23 July 2018 The foam, on the other hand, is great for sections or all-over color. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "K-Pop Star Heize Shows Off Bleach-Free Alternative to Holographic Highlights," 26 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Southgate needs to get the balance right, England could still do with another three points to ensure advancement but should be cautious not to over-commit in a likely dead rubber match. — SI.com, "World Cup Preview: England vs Panama - Recent Form, Team News, Predictions & More," 23 June 2018 Beat the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (but be careful not to over-beat). — Jason Wilson, charlotteobserver, "Vermont’s maple syrup business is booming, thanks to technology and changing tastes," 4 May 2018 The Southeast is home to over a quarter of all butt implants, calf augmentations, and pectoral implants. — Macaela Mackenzie, Allure, "How Plastic Surgery Trends Are Often Influenced by Where You Live," 22 June 2018 Add the sugars to the butter and cream together, careful not to over-mix. — Noelle Carter, latimes.com, "Celebrate National Peanut Butter Cookie Day with this recipe," 12 June 2018 The portion that believed immigrants strengthened America increased from just under three-in-10 in rural places to over four-in-10 in urban centers (with the suburbs falling in between). — Ronald Brownstein, CNN, "Republicans and Democrats increasingly really do occupy different worlds," 12 June 2018 That allocation was based on an average of each state’s snapper landings overs a multi-year period. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Red snapper season gains length this year," 31 May 2018 So far, this approach to innovation seems to be paying off: the 11 companies in last year's inaugural cohort have nearly doubled their funding since graduating from the program, from $10.5 million to over $20 million. — Cherie Hu, Billboard, "Meet the 2018 Techstars Music Startups Transforming the Music Industry for Good: Exclusive," 3 May 2018 Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until just moistened, being careful not to over mix. — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, "Rhubarb season is here. Time to make bread.," 28 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'over.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Statistics for over
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for over
The first known use of over was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for over
over
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of over
(Entry 1 of 4)
: in an upward and forward direction across something
: downward from an upright position
: downward to a flat or horizontal position
over
prepositionEnglish Language Learners Definition of over (Entry 2 of 4)
: from, to, or at a place that is higher than (someone or something)
: on top of (something) : so as to cover (something)
: beyond and down from (something)
over-
prefixEnglish Language Learners Definition of over- (Entry 4 of 4)
: too much or too great
: so as to be better or beyond
: very or extremely
See the full definition for over- in the English Language Learners Dictionary
over
adverb
\ ˈō-vər
\
\
Kids Definition of over
(Entry 1 of 4)
1
: across a barrier or space
Just climb over. Can you move over?
2
: in a direction down or forward and down
It fell over.
3
: across the brim
The soup boiled over.
4
: so as to bring the underside up
Turn the cards over.
5
: from one person or side to another
Hand it over.
6
: to someone's home
I asked them over.
7
: beyond a limit
The show ran a minute over.
8
: more than needed
She has food left over.
9
: once more : again
Please do it over.
10
: overnight entry 1 sense 1
Can I sleep over?
over and over
: many times
over
prepositionKids Definition of over (Entry 2 of 4)
1
: above in place : higher than
He towered over us.
2
: above in power or value
I respect those over me.
3
: in front of
We have a big lead over the others.
4
: more than
It costs over five dollars.
5
: down upon
He hit me over the head.
6
: all through or throughout
“… our dad gets to travel all over the country …”— Christopher Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy
7
: on or along the surface of
Glide over the ice.
8
: on or to the other side of : across
Jump over the puddle.
9
: down from the top or edge of
He fell over the edge.
10
: having to do with
They are still arguing over it.
over
adjectiveKids Definition of over (Entry 3 of 4)
1
: being more than needed or expected
The balance was three dollars over.
2
: brought or come to an end
Those days are over.
over-
prefix
\ ˈō-vər, ˌō-vər\
Kids Definition of over-
: more than usual, normal, or proper
overload oversize
over
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