WordGarden.iooverflow
B1Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈoʊvərˌfloʊ/
Meanings
Verb
to become too full and spill or extend beyond a boundary
Noun
an amount that spills over or goes beyond normal capacity
a condition where data or a numeric value exceeds the space available in a computer system
Beyond the definition
Imagine filling a glass with water until it spills over. That is what happens when something goes past its limit or capacity. A river can spill beyond its banks, and an inbox can be so full of emails that it feels hard to manage. The word can also describe strong feelings; someone might say their heart is overflowing with joy.
It is not always about liquids. A concert hall can overflow with fans, meaning it is packed with more people than expected. You might also say a person overflows with kindness or enthusiasm, as if they have so much of it that it spills out. Think of it as the moment when something cannot hold any more.
To overflow means to exceed the capacity of something, causing it to spill over or become too full. It's often used literally when describing liquids, like water overflowing from a cup or a river overflowing its banks after heavy rain: "The dam threatened to overflow during the storm."
However, overflow isn't limited to physical containers. It can also describe abstract concepts reaching their limit. An inbox might overflow with emails, meaning it's filled beyond manageable levels. A stadium can overflow with enthusiastic fans, indicating a massive turnout.
Figuratively, overflow describes an abundance of something – often positive emotions. You might say someone's heart is overflowing with love or gratitude, suggesting they feel intensely happy and fulfilled. "Her eyes overflowed with tears" means she cried profusely.
The word can also be used as a noun to describe the extra amount that does not fit or the people sent to an extra space: "The overflow from the bathtub flooded the bathroom floor" or "Visitors were directed to the overflow parking lot."
So whether it's water spilling from a container, emotions pouring out of someone's heart, or a crowd exceeding expectations, overflow signifies reaching a point where something simply cannot hold any more. It speaks to abundance, limits being surpassed, and sometimes, delightful chaos.
Examples
- 1
Household spill
The bathtub started to overflow, so I turned off the tap.
- 2
Rain gutters
Rainwater overflowed the gutters and ran down the walls.
- 3
Crowded space
By noon, the waiting room had overflowed into the hallway.
- Patternoverflow into + place
spread beyond the usual space into another area
- 4
Full inbox
Her inbox overflowed with messages after the announcement.
- Patternoverflow with + things
be very full of them
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Extra amount
Please put any overflow from the main box in the second box.
- 6
Extra seating
The small theater used a nearby classroom for overflow seating.
- Phraseoverflow seating
extra seats used when the main space is full
- 7
Programming security
In programming class, we learned how a buffer overflow can create a security problem.
- Domainbuffer overflow
a computer problem caused when too much data is put into a limited memory space
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- overflownounverb
Forms
- overflowing-ing formverbnoun
- overflowspluralnounverb
- overflowedpast tenseverbnoun