WordGarden.ioover
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /ˈəʊvə/
US
- /ˈoʊvər/
Meanings
Preposition
above or across at a higher level than
more than a stated amount, level, or age
during or throughout a period of time
More meaningsFewer meanings
concerning, because of, or in relation to
Adjective
finished or at an end
Adverb
again or from the beginning
Beyond the definition
This is one of those small English words that shows up everywhere. Most often, it points to a place above something else, like a plane flying over the mountains, or to movement from one side to the other, like walking over a bridge. It also often tells you that something has ended: "The movie is over now."
It can also carry the idea of excess, as in overcooked food or being overloaded with work. In everyday speech, people may say they are "over" a problem or a past relationship, meaning they have moved on from it. The exact meaning changes with the situation, but it usually stays close to the ideas of above, across, finished, or too much.
The word "over" is very flexible in English. It can work as a preposition, an adverb, an adjective, and as part of many longer words. At its center, it usually carries one of a few main ideas: higher than something, from one side to another, finished, or more than what is needed.
As a preposition, it often shows position or movement. A bird can fly over a house, a blanket can lie over a chair, and a runner can jump over a wall. It can also mean "across" in a broader sense, as when someone travels over the sea, or it can show control or attention, as in watching over a child.
As an adverb, it can describe movement or transfer. Someone can come over to visit, turn a page over, or knock a glass over. In conversation systems such as radio use, people also say "Over" to show that they have finished speaking and are waiting for a reply.
As an adjective, it often means that something has ended: "The game is over." It can also suggest that a person has recovered emotionally from something: "She is finally over the disappointment."
"Over" also appears in many compound words and prefixes that add the sense of excess, covering, or completion, such as overcook, overfill, overconfident, and overcoat. Because it appears in so many patterns, the best way to understand it is to look at the words around it. Even then, the meaning usually stays close to the same core ideas: above, across, ended, or too much.
Examples
- 1
Position above
The lamp hangs over the kitchen table.
- 2
Covering
She pulled a blanket over the baby.
- 3
Crossing
We walked over the bridge to the old town.
- 4
Amounts
The bill came to just over fifty dollars.
- Phrasejust over
a little more than
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Conversation setting
We talked over coffee after the meeting.
- Phraseover coffee
while drinking coffee
- 6
Time period
I met her over the summer.
- Phraseover the summer
during that period
- 7
Review
Let's go over the plan one more time.
- Patterngo over + thing
review or check it
- 8
Disagreement
They argued over money again.
- 9
Control
She has no control over the schedule.
- Patterncontrol over + thing
power to affect or manage it
- 10
Finished
The game is over, but everyone is still talking about it.
- 11
Visiting
Can you come over after work?
- Phrasecome over
come to someone's home or place
- 12
Recovery
It took him months to get over the breakup.
- Patternget over + bad experience
feel better after it
- 13
Repetition
She read the instructions over and over until they made sense.
- Phraseover and over
many times
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- oververbadjectiveadverb
Forms
- oversverbadverbadjective
- overing-ing formverbadverbadjective
- overedpast tenseverbadverbadjective