English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

overcooked

adj

Cooked for too long, making the food dry, tough, or unpleasant.

overcrowded

adj

Containing far more people or things than there is comfortable room for.

overcrowding

noun

A situation in which a space holds far more people or things than it comfortably can.

overdo

verb

To do something to an excessive or unwise degree.

overdoing

noun

Excessive or unwise activity; doing too much.

overdone

adj

Cooked for too long.

overdose

noun

A dangerously excessive dose of a drug or medicine.

overdraft

noun

The act of withdrawing more money from a bank account than it holds.

overdressed

adj

Wearing clothing that is too formal, elaborate, or heavy for the occasion.

overdrive

noun

A high gear in a vehicle that reduces engine speed at higher road speeds, improving fuel economy.

overdue

adj

Later than expected or scheduled; past the point at which something should have happened.

overestimate

verb

To judge or guess that something is larger, better, or more significant than it really is.

overexcited

adj

Excessively excited, often to the point of losing composure.

overextended

adj

Stretched or expanded beyond a safe or sustainable limit.

overflow

noun

Liquid or material that spills over because there is too much of it.

overflowing

noun

The act of spilling past a limit; an overflow.

overgrown

adj

Covered with plants that have grown wild and unchecked.

overhaul

noun

A thorough repair, renovation, or revision of something.

overhead

adj

Positioned above, especially above one's head.

overhear

verb

To hear something by chance that was not meant for one's ears.

overhearing

noun

The act of catching a conversation you were not meant to be part of.

overheat

verb

To heat something, or for something, well past a safe or normal level.

overheated

adj

Heated to an unsafe or uncomfortable degree.

overheating

noun

The state of having become dangerously or excessively hot.

overjoyed

adj

Extremely happy or delighted.

overkill

noun

Far more force, effort, or resources than a situation actually calls for.

overland

adj

Travelling by, or crossing, land rather than sea or air.

overlap

verb

To extend over part of something else, partly covering it.

overlapping

adj

Partly covering, coinciding with, or sharing something else.

overlay

verb

To lay or spread one thing over another.

overload

verb

To load something with more than it can safely or properly handle.

overloaded

adj

Carrying or holding more than it should.

overloading

noun

In programming, giving several functions or operators the same name, distinguished by the type of data they take.

overlook

verb

To fail to notice something, or to miss it despite it being there.

overlooked

adj

Not noticed or given the attention it deserves.

overlord

noun

A ruler who holds power over other rulers or lower authorities.

overly

adv

To an excessive or unnecessary degree.

overnight

adv

Throughout the night, or during the course of one night.

overpass

noun

A bridge that carries one road or path over another.

overpopulation

noun

A situation where an area has more people, animals, or organisms than it can properly support.

overpower

verb

To defeat or subdue someone using greater strength or force.

overpowered

adj

Defeated by superior strength or force.

overpowering

adj

So strong or intense that it becomes hard to resist or ignore.

overpriced

adj

Priced higher than the item is actually worth.

overprotective

adj

Excessively concerned with protecting someone, to an unhelpful or restrictive degree.

overqualified

adj

Having far more skills or qualifications than a job requires.

overrated

adj

Praised or valued more highly than it actually deserves.

overreact

verb

To respond to something with far more emotion or force than the situation calls for.

overreaction

noun

A response that goes well beyond what the situation warrants.

override

verb

To take priority over, or cancel out, an existing decision, rule, or system.

overriding

adj

More important than anything else in the situation; taking priority.

overrule

verb

To reject or reverse a decision using higher authority.

overrun

verb

To spread over or invade a place in large numbers, often taking full control of it.

overseas

adj

Located in or coming from another country, typically across the sea.

oversee

verb

To supervise or take responsibility for a person, project, or process.

overseer

noun

A person who supervises the work of others.

overshadowed

adj

Made to seem less important because something else nearby drew more attention.

overshot

adj

Powered by water that flows in over the top, as with certain water wheels.

oversight

noun

A mistake made by failing to notice or consider something.

oversized

adj

Larger than the normal or expected size for something of its kind.

oversleep

verb

To sleep for longer than you meant to, missing the time you were supposed to wake up.

overstep

verb

To go further than is allowed or appropriate; to cross a line.

overt

adj

Done openly, not hidden or disguised.

overtake

verb

To pass a slower vehicle, runner, or competitor ahead of you.

overtaken

adj

Caught by surprise, or beaten and passed by something else.

overtaking

noun

The act of passing a slower vehicle or competitor.

overthink

verb

To think about something for too long or too hard, often making a simple decision harder than it needs to be.

overthinking

noun

Spending too much time and worry analyzing something.

overthrow

verb

To remove a government or leader from power by force.

overtime

noun

Extra time worked beyond someone's normal hours, or the higher pay for that work.

overtly

adv

In a way that is open and obvious, not hidden.

Overton

name

An English surname and place name, meaning "upper settlement" or "town on the river bank".

overture

noun

A first approach or proposal made to start talks or a relationship.

overturn

verb

To flip something over, or to cause a vehicle to roll onto its side or roof.

overview

noun

A short summary that covers the main points of something without going into detail.

overwatch

verb

To keep watch over something from a position of protection or support.

overweight

adj

Weighing more than is considered healthy for one's height and build.

overwhelm

verb

To completely overpower someone or something, whether physically or emotionally.

overwhelmed

adj

Completely overcome by emotion, work, or difficulty, to the point of struggling to cope.

overwhelming

adj

So strong, large, or intense that it is hard to resist or cope with.

overwhelmingly

adv

To a very great extent; by far the largest amount or degree.

overwork

verb

To make someone work too hard, or to work too hard yourself.

overworked

adj

Made to work too hard, often to the point of exhaustion.

overwrought

adj

Extremely nervous, upset, or agitated.

overzealous

adj

Too eager or enthusiastic, often to an unhelpful or excessive degree.

ovulation

noun

The release of an egg from an ovary as part of the reproductive cycle.

ow

intj

An exclamation of sudden pain.

owe

verb

To be required to pay money back to someone.

owed

adj

Due to be paid or given back.

Owen

name

A masculine given name of Welsh origin, meaning "young warrior" or "well-born".

Owens

name

A Welsh surname, meaning "son of Owen".

owie

noun

A small, minor injury, especially in a child's speech.

owing

adj

Still needing to be paid.

owl

noun

A mostly nocturnal bird of prey with large forward-facing eyes and a sharp, hooked beak.

own

adj

Belonging to a particular person; used to stress possession.

owned

adj

Belonging to a specific person, group, or category of owner.

owner

noun

A person or group who legally possesses something.

ownership

noun

The legal right of possessing something.

owt

pron

Anything (a Northern English dialect word).

ox

noun

A castrated adult male of domestic cattle, traditionally used to pull carts or ploughs.

oxen

noun

The plural of ox — large cattle traditionally used for pulling ploughs, carts, or heavy loads.

oxide

noun

A chemical compound formed when oxygen combines with another element.

Oxnard

name

A city in Southern California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

oxy

noun

In chemistry, a functional group made of an oxygen atom bonded between two carbon groups (as found in ethers).

oxycodone

noun

A strong, addictive prescription painkiller derived partly from opium, similar in effect to morphine.

OxyContin

noun

A brand-name, slow-release painkiller containing oxycodone, notorious for fuelling opioid addiction in the US.

oxygen

noun

A colourless, odourless gas that makes up about a fifth of the air and is essential for humans and animals to breathe.

oxymoron

noun

A figure of speech that pairs two contradictory words for effect, such as "deafening silence."

oxytocin

noun

A hormone that triggers labour contractions and milk production, and is also linked to trust and emotional bonding.

oy

intj

An exclamation of mild frustration, worry, or exasperation.

oyabun

noun

The top boss of a yakuza crime family.

Oyama

name

A Japanese surname, meaning "great mountain".

oyster

noun

A soft-bodied shellfish that lives inside a hard, rough shell, often eaten raw and sometimes producing pearls.

Oz

noun

Abbreviation for ounce, a small unit of weight.

Ozaki

name

A Japanese surname, literally meaning "small cape" or "small peninsula".

Ozawa

name

A Japanese surname, meaning "small marsh".

ozone

noun

A form of oxygen with three atoms per molecule instead of the usual two, found in a protective layer high in the atmosphere.

Ozzie

noun

Informal term for an Australian person.

Ozzy

name

A nickname for someone named Oswald or Oscar, or a nickname referring to the surname Osbourne.