over
OH-vuh
Over (adj) means Finished; ended. Example: “The meeting is over, so we can go home.”
adj
1
Finished; ended.
"The meeting is over, so we can go home."
"By midnight the storm was over."
"Once the exams were over, the whole class went out to celebrate."
adv
1
From one place or position to another, especially across a distance.
"She walked over to greet the new neighbors."
"The waiter came over and asked if we were ready to order."
"Could you bring the chairs over from the other room, please?"
2
Thoroughly or completely, from beginning to end.
"He read the contract over before signing it."
"Think it over carefully before you give me your final answer."
"She read the whole report over twice to catch every mistake."
3
To an excessive degree; too much.
"The manager was over eager to please every visitor."
"The soup was over salted, so we could hardly eat it."
"Don't worry over it so much."
prep
1
Above, or higher than.
"A lamp hung over the kitchen table."
"A small plane flew low over our house this afternoon."
"The picture over the fireplace belonged to my grandmother."
2
More than a stated amount.
"The bill came to just over fifty dollars."
"She waited over an hour for the bus in the rain."
"Children over twelve must wear a helmet on the cycle track."
noun
1
In cricket, a set of six balls bowled by one player.
"He took two wickets in the final over."
"The bowler sent down a quiet over and conceded no runs."
"After one more over, the umpire stopped play because of the rain."
How to use over
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, flexible word covering "above," "across," "finished," and "too much," depending on context.
Common pairings
over there
game over
over the top
think it over
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Word forms
- Plural
- overs
- Third person singular
- overs
- Past tense
- overed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The meeting is _____, so we can go home.
Etymology
From Old English ofer, tracing back to a very old Indo-European root meaning "above" — related to Latin super and Greek hyper.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for over
See all rhymes for over →Frequently asked questions
What does “over” mean?
The word “over” means finished; ended. In plain terms, a small, flexible word covering "above," "across," "finished," and "too much," depending on context.
How do you pronounce “over”?
“Over” is pronounced OH-vuh (/ˈoʊ̯.vɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “over” in a sentence?
Here is “over” used in a sentence: “The meeting is over, so we can go home.”
What part of speech is “over”?
Depending on how it is used, “over” can be an adjective, an adverb, a preposition and a noun.
Where does the word “over” come from?
The word “over” comes from Latin. From Old English ofer, tracing back to a very old Indo-European root meaning "above" — related to Latin super and Greek hyper.
Is “over” a common word?
“Over” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “over” have?
“Over” has 7 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: finished; ended.
What is the difference between over and above?
Both mean higher than something, but "over" often implies movement or covering ("the plane flew over the city," "a blanket over the bed"), while "above" suggests a fixed higher position ("the shelf above the desk"). With numbers both occur, though "over" is more common in everyday English ("over fifty guests").
Is it correct to say "over 100 people" instead of "more than 100 people"?
Yes. "Over" with quantities ("over 100 people") is long established and accepted by major dictionaries and usage guides, although some editors traditionally preferred "more than" with numbers. Both are correct; choose whichever reads more naturally.
What is the difference between "over" and "finished"?
As an adjective, "over" means finished or ended, and it normally comes after the verb "be": "the meeting is over," "the game was over." Unlike "finished," it cannot go before a noun — you can say "a finished project" but not "an over project."
What is the difference between over and across?
Both describe movement from one side to another, and in many cases they are interchangeable ("walk over/across the bridge"). "Over" is preferred when height or an obstacle is involved ("climb over the wall"), while "across" emphasises movement along a flat surface or expanse ("swim across the lake").
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing over in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
A'Zariah Miles, who plans to major in biology, chose Howard over other schools that accepted her.
From
CNN · Jul 25, 2026
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