over

play

adverb \ ˈō-vər \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of over

1 a :across a barrier or intervening (see intervene 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 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 traditionalists
—John 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.

See over defined for English-language learners

See over defined for kids

Examples of over in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of over from the Web

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. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of over

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

over Synonyms

Synonyms

across, athwart, through

Antonyms

nevermore

Related Words

clear

Near Antonyms

ne'er, never; infrequently, little, rarely, seldom, unusually; intermittently, occasionally, periodically, sometimes, sporadically

over

preposition

Definition of over

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

b :above 4

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 —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

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

See over defined for English-language learners

Examples of over in a Sentence

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.

Origin and Etymology of over

see ¹over

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

over Synonyms

Synonyms

above

Antonyms

below, beneath, under

Related Words

atop

Near Antonyms

underneath

over

adjective

Definition of over

1 a :upper, higher

b :outer, covering

c :excessive

over imagination

2 a :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

— over easy

:fried on one side then turned and fried lightly on the other side

eggs over easy

See over defined for English-language learners

Examples of over in a Sentence

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 of over from the Web

Made of metal and later of plastic, and applying an even, all-over heat, hooded dryers entered widespread use in 1930s.

— maria teresa hart, The Atlantic, "The Hair Dryer, Freedom’s Appliance," 1 Aug. 2017
The company typically names a new class of members every two years, and the pool then dwindles over time as some decide to leave or are pushed out.

— dakin campbell, Bloomberg.com, "Goldman Partners Mark End of Era as Stock Holding Drops Below 5%," 20 July 2017
And his last rule of thumb is to start with a neutral, all-over color—without it, your highlights and lowlights won't pop.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "'4D Hair Color' Is the Secret to Highlights That Look Unbelievably Natural," 20 July 2017
Other items, like the camo camp cap (a tongue twister of a product description) is listed on Grailed for $700, while the all-over print hoodie—which retailed for $935—sees after market prices between five and seven thousand dollars.

— matt sebra, GQ, "Supreme x Louis Vuitton Resale Prices Are Already Out of Control," 30 June 2017
The all-over chain-link print was both quirky and sophisticated, while the fluid silk fabric and fit-and-flare skirt silhouette lightened up the look and feel.

— maria ward, Vogue, "Kirsten Dunst’s Summer Styling Trick Is Made for the Office," 21 June 2017
Because the city pays out officers and employees for left-over vacation time, Young alleged the two may have been trying to game the system.

— joseph pimentel, Orange County Register, "Anaheim clears police chief, deputy chief in time-off investigation," 10 June 2017
And that will take care of itself over time as the economy ratchets up the growth rate.

— WSJ, "North Korean Nukes," 24 Apr. 2017
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

Origin and Etymology of over

see ¹over

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

over Synonyms

Synonyms

completed, concluded, done, down, ended, finished, complete, over with, terminated, through, up

Antonyms

continuing, incomplete, ongoing, uncompleted, undone, unfinished

Related Words

accomplished, achieved, attained, compassed, realized; dead, defunct, extinct, kaput (also kaputt), obsolete; expired

over

verb

Definition of over

overed; overing play \ˈō-və-riŋ, ˈōv-riŋ\

transitive verb

:to leap over

Recent Examples of over from the Web

Some replace the Rose's with 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice and 1/2 ounce simple syrup, but there's no real need to over-complicate things here.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to Make a Cosmopolitan," 12 July 2017
No need to over compensate with outlandish declarations, poetic prophecies, or violent guarantees.

— tim kiernan, SI.com, "Mikey Garcia making his case with a perfect record instead of his mouth," 22 June 2017
Tellingly, Trump’s prior personal financial disclosures were accompanied by statements describing his overall net worth in big capital letters: from $9 billion to $10 billion to over $10 billion, by Trump’s own calculation.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Trump once figured he’d be the first person to make money running for president. He didn’t.," 21 June 2017
In that instance, Uber collected tens of million more from New York City drivers than it was supposed to over a three-year span dating to November 2014.

— faiz siddiqui, Washington Post, "Uber cost itself $150,000 after undercharging in Maryland," 6 June 2017
The price of Stanton’s unit was not disclosed, but similar units in the building have sold from $1.8 million to over $6 million.

— rene rodriguez, miamiherald, "Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is moving to downtown Miami," 24 May 2017
Weaknesses: Air Force is accustomed to turnover on the roster, but the losses the team suffered after the 2016 season could prove to be difficult to over.

— iliana limón romero, OrlandoSentinel.com, "College football rankings: Air Force Falcons," 19 May 2017
Be careful not to over whip or the cream will separate.

— michelle matthews | mmatthews@al.com, AL.com, "Make 'Gumbo Love' in your own kitchen with these recipes from Lucy Buffett," 9 May 2017
Fruit can range from less than a half-inch to over an inch.

— susan clotfelter, The Denver Post, "Ten plants that even a black-thumb gardener can’t kill," 31 Mar. 2017

Origin and Etymology of over

see ¹over

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1837

See Words from the same year

over-

prefix

Definition of over-

1 :so as to exceed or surpass

overachieve

2 :excessive

overstimulation

3 :to an excessive degree

overthin

overabstract
overabundance
overabundant
overaccentuate
overadjustment
overadvertise
overaggressive
overalert
overambitious
overambitiousness
overamplified
overanalysis
overanalytical
overanalyze
overanxiety
overanxious
overapplication
overarousal
overarrange
overarticulate
overassert
overassertion
overassertive
overassessment
overattention
overbake
overbeat
overbejeweled
overbill
overbleach
overboil
overbold
overborrow
overbreathing
overbrief
overbright
overbroad
overbrowse
overbrutal
overburn
overbusy
overcareful
overcaution
overcautious
overcentralization
overcentralize
overchill
overcivilized
overclaim
overclassification
overclassify
overclean
overclear
overcoach
overcommercialization
overcommercialize
overcommunicate
overcommunication
overcomplex
overcompliance
overcomplicate
overcomplicated
overcompress
overconcentration
overconcern
overconcerned
overconfidence
overconfident
overconfidently
overconscientious
overconscious
overconservative
overconstruct
overconsume
overconsumption
overcontrol
overcook
overcool
overcorrect
overcount
overcredulous
overcritical
overcultivation
overcure
overdecorate
overdecoration
overdemanding
overdependence
overdependent
overdifferentiation
overdirect
overdiscount
overdiversity
overdocument
overdramatic
overdramatize
overdrink
overdry
overeager
overeagerness
overearnest
overedit
overeducate
overeducated
overeducation
overelaborate
overelaboration
overembellish
overemote
overemotional
overemphasis
overemphasize
overemphatic
overenamored
overencourage
overenergetic
overengineer
overenrolled
overentertained
overenthusiasm
overenthusiastic
overequipped
overestimate
overestimation
overevaluation
overexaggerate
overexaggeration
overexcite
overexcited
overexercise
overexpand
overexpansion
overexpectation
overexplain
overexplicit
overexploit
overexploitation
overextraction
overextrapolation
overextravagant
overexuberant
overfacile
overfamiliar
overfamiliarity
overfastidious
overfat
overfavor
overfertilization
overfertilize
overfocus
overfond
overfulfill
overfund
overfussy
overgeneralization
overgeneralize
overgenerosity
overgenerous
overgenerously
overglamorize
overgovern
overhandle
overharvest
overhasty
overhomogenize
overhunt
overhunting
overhype
overidealize
overidentification
overidentify
overimaginative
overimpress
overindebtedness
overindulge
overindulgence
overindulgent
overindustrialize
overinflate
overinflated
overinflation
overinform
overinformed
overingenious
overingenuity
overinsistent
overintellectualization
overintellectualize
overintense
overintensity
overinterpretation
overinvestment
overlabor
overlabored
overladen
overlarge
overlavish
overlend
overlength
overlengthen
overlight
overliteral
overliterary
overlong
overloud
overlush
overmanage
overmannered
overmature
overmaturity
overmedicate
overmedication
overmighty
overmilk
overmine
overmix
overmodest
overmodestly
overmuscled
overnice
overnourish
overnutrition
overobvious
overoperate
overopinionated
overoptimism
overoptimist
overoptimistic
overoptimistically
overorchestrate
overorganize
overorganized
overornament
overpackage
overparticular
overpay
overpayment
overpedal
overpeople
overplan
overplant
overplot
overpotent
overpraise
overprecise
overprescribe
overprescription
overprivileged
overprize
overprocess
overproduce
overproduction
overprogram
overpromise
overpromote
overprotect
overprotection
overprotective
overprotectiveness
overpump
overreact
overreaction
overreactive
overrefined
overrefinement
overregulate
overregulation
overreliance
overreport
overrespond
overrich
overrigid
oversalt
oversanguine
oversaturate
oversaturation
oversauce
overscrupulous
oversecretion
oversensitive
oversensitiveness
oversensitivity
overserious
overseriously
overservice
oversimplistic
oversmoke
oversolicitous
oversophisticated
overspecialization
overspecialize
overspeculate
overspeculation
overstability
overstaff
overstock
overstrain
overstress
overstretch
overstructured
oversubtle
oversuds
oversupply
oversuspicious
oversweet
oversweeten
oversweetness
overswing
overtalk
overtalkative
overtax
overtaxation
overthin
overtighten
overtip
overtired
overtrain
overtreat
overtreatment
overuse
overutilization
overutilize
overviolent
overvivid
overwater
overweary
overwind
overwithhold

See over- defined for English-language learners

See over- defined for kids

OVER Defined for English Language Learners

over

play

adverb

Definition of over for English Language Learners

: in an upward and forward direction across something
: downward from an upright position
: downward to a flat or horizontal position

over

preposition

Definition of over for English Language Learners

: 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

adjective

Definition of over for English Language Learners

: having reached the end

over-

prefix

Definition of over- for English Language Learners

: too much or too great
: so as to be better or beyond
: very or extremely

OVER Defined for Kids

over

play

adverb \ ˈō-vər \

Definition of over for Students

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 :¹overnight 1

Can I sleep over?

— over and over

:many times

over

preposition

Definition of over for Students

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

adjective

Definition of over for Students

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 \

Definition of over- for Students

:more than usual, normal, or proper

overload

oversize

Law Dictionary

over

adjective

legal Definition of over

:based on the termination or failure of a prior estate

a limitation over

— see also gift over at gift

Learn More about over

See words that rhyme with over Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for over Spanish Central: Translation of over Nglish: Translation of over for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of over for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about over

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up over? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

over

Definition of over

From the M-W Editors

Examples of over in a Sentence

Recent Examples of over from the Web

Origin and Etymology of over

over Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

over

Definition of over

Examples of over in a Sentence

Origin and Etymology of over

over Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

over

Definition of over

Examples of over in a Sentence

Recent Examples of over from the Web

Origin and Etymology of over

over Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

over

Definition of over

Recent Examples of over from the Web

Origin and Etymology of over

over-

Definition of over-

Phrases Related to OVER

Related Phrases

OVER Defined for English Language Learners

over

Definition of over for English Language Learners

over

Definition of over for English Language Learners

over

Definition of over for English Language Learners

over-

Definition of over- for English Language Learners

OVER Defined for Kids

over

Definition of over for Students

over

Definition of over for Students

over

Definition of over for Students

over-

Definition of over- for Students

Law Dictionary

over

legal Definition of over

Learn More about over

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

Words of the Year: 1066