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oversized

B2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ˌəʊvəsˈaɪzd/

US

  • /ˈoʊvərˌsaɪzd/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. larger than usual or needed in physical size or scale

  2. made or styled to fit loosely and look deliberately large, especially in clothing

  3. disproportionately large in effect, influence, or importance

Beyond the definition

"Oversized" describes something that is bigger than usual, often clearly bigger than the normal or expected size. You might use it for an oversized T-shirt, an oversized suitcase, or an oversized sofa that takes up a lot of space in a room. It often appears in clothing and furniture, where the larger size can feel relaxed, cozy, or stylish. In other cases, it can suggest that something is awkward or hard to manage because it is so large, like an oversized vehicle on a narrow street. The word can also be used in a figurative way, as in an oversized ego.

Examples

  1. 1

    Clothing

    She wore an oversized sweater with jeans and boots.

  2. 2

    Furniture

    The sofa looked oversized in the tiny apartment.

  3. 3

    Casual clothing

    He likes oversized T-shirts because they feel more relaxed.

  4. 4

    Air travel

    The airline charged us extra for oversized baggage.

More examples
  1. 5

    Road transport

    A truck carrying an oversized load was moving slowly down the highway.

See also

Similar

  • large
  • too large
  • extra-large

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • oversized sweater
  • oversized furniture
  • oversized load
  • oversized portion

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • oversizedadjective