Standard Lemma guide

overcast

adj · noun · verb · 19 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: ōʹvə-käst'
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈəʊvəˌkɑːst/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: ōʹvər-kăst'
  • General-American: /ˈoʊvɚ.kæst/
  • Received-Pronunciation: ō'və-kästʹ
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌəʊvəˈkɑːst/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: ō'vər-kăstʹ
  • General-American: /ˌoʊvɚˈkæst/
  • rhymes with -ɑːst
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 V ER0 K AE2 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened; (meteorology) more than 90% covered by clouds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

In a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A cloud covering all of the sky from horizon to horizon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An outcast.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A place where one roadway crosses another, specifically where an airway was built across the top of another airway for ventilation purposes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, mining

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To overthrow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To make gloomy; to depress.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To be or become cloudy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To transform.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To fasten (sheets) by overcast stitching or by folding one edge over another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: arts, bookbinding, crafts, hobbies, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

filled or abounding with clouds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cloud-covered, clouded, sunless

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a cast that falls beyond the intended spot

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: casting, cast

14

noun

Meaning 14

a long whipstitch or overhand stitch overlying an edge to prevent raveling

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overcasting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: whipstitch, whipping, whipstitching

15

noun

Meaning 15

gloomy semidarkness caused by cloud cover

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cloudiness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: semidarkness

16

noun

Meaning 16

the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cloudiness, cloud cover

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bad weather, inclemency, inclementness

17

verb

Meaning 17

sew with an overcast stitch from one section to the next

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • overcast books

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sew, run up, sew together, stitch

18

verb

Meaning 18

sew over the edge of with long slanting wide stitches

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sew, run up, sew together, stitch

Narrower terms: oversew

19

verb

Meaning 19

make overcast or cloudy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Fall weather often overcasts our beaches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cloud

Antonyms: clear up

Broader terms: darken

Narrower terms: fog up, haze

History

Etymology

From Middle English overcasten, equivalent to over- + cast. Compare Swedish överkast.

Across languages

Translations

116 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bau Bidayuh: bidondom — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Bulgarian: заоблачен (zaoblačen) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Catalan: cobert — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 陰沉 /阴沉 (yīnchén) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 灰濛蒙 /灰蒙蒙 (huīmēngmēng) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 低沉 (dīchén) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Dutch: betrokken — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Dutch: bewolkt — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Finnish: pilvinen — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Finnish: synkkä — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • French: nuageux — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • French: couvert — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Galician: cuberto — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Georgian: მოღრუბლული (moɣrubluli) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Georgian: ღრუბლიანი (ɣrubliani) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • German: bedeckt — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • German: bewölkt — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Ancient Greek: συννεφής (sunnephḗs) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Ancient Greek: ἐπινέφελος (epinéphelos) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Hungarian: felhős — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Icelandic: þungbúinn — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Indonesian: mendung — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Irish: duibheagánach — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Irish: modartha — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Italian: coperto — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Italian: nuvoloso — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Japanese: どんよりした (donyori shita) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Khmer: មេឃមីរ (meikmii) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Latin: nūbilus — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Louisiana Creole: kouvær — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Louisiana Creole: kouvè — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Louisiana Creole: kouvèr — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Malay: mendung — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Manchu: ᡨᡠᠯᡥᡠᠨ (tulhun) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: whakaipuipu — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: pōkino — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: taupuru — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: kōwhanga — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: tāpuru — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Māori: kēkēao — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Navajo: kʼostʼą́ʼí — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Norman: couvaert — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overskyet — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Norwegian Bokmål: overskya — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: overskya — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Polish: pochmurny — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Portuguese: nublado — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Russian: о́блачный (óblačnyj) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Russian: па́смурный (pásmurnyj) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: nublado — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: nubloso — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: anubarrado — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: anubado — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: nublo — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Spanish: nuboso — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Sundanese: haleungheum — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Swedish: mulen — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Swedish: mulet — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Tamil: மூடம் (mūṭam) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Tamil: மூட்டம் (mūṭṭam) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Tamil: மேகமூட்டம் (mēkamūṭṭam) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Tamil: மோடம் (mōṭam) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Turkish: bulutlu — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Ukrainian: хма́рний (xmárnyj) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Ukrainian: похмурий (poxmuryj) — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Uzbek: bulutli — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Vietnamese: âm u — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Vietnamese: u ám — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Vietnamese: phủ mây — covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • Catalan: cobert — meteorological term
  • Dutch: bewolkt — meteorological term
  • Esperanto: nuboplena — meteorological term
  • Finnish: pilvinen — meteorological term
  • French: couvert — meteorological term
  • German: bewölkt — meteorological term
  • Hungarian: borult — meteorological term
  • Irish: smúitiúil — meteorological term
  • Irish: scamallach — meteorological term
  • Irish: modartha — meteorological term
  • Italian: coperto — meteorological term
  • Polish: zachmurzony — meteorological term
  • Portuguese: encoberto — meteorological term
  • Spanish: cubierto — meteorological term
  • Swedish: mulen — meteorological term
  • Tamil: மேகமூட்டம் (mēkamūṭṭam) — meteorological term
  • Welsh: cymylog — meteorological term
  • Bulgarian: мрачен (mračen) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Bulgarian: меланхоличен (melanholičen) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 陰沉 /阴沉 (yīnchén) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 低沉 (dīchén) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Dutch: neerslachtig — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Finnish: synkkä — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Hungarian: borús — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Russian: угрю́мый (ugrjúmyj) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Russian: мра́чный (mráčnyj) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Russian: хму́рый (xmúryj) — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Swedish: mulen — in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • Bulgarian: притъмнявам (pritǎmnjavam) — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Dutch: bewolken — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Dutch: verduisteren — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Finnish: peittää pilveen — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Galician: nubrar — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Galician: anubrar — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Portuguese: nublar — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Spanish: nublar — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Spanish: encapotar — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Tamil: மூடு (mūṭu) — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Tamil: கரு (karu) — to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • Bulgarian: заоблачавам се (zaoblačavam se) — to be or become cloudy
  • Dutch: bewolkt zijn — to be or become cloudy
  • Finnish: olla pilvistä — to be or become cloudy
  • Finnish: pilvistyä — to be or become cloudy
  • Hungarian: beborul — to be or become cloudy
  • Manchu: ᡨᡠᠯᡥᡠᡧᡝᠮᠪᡳ (tulhušembi) — to be or become cloudy
  • Tamil: வானம் கருத்தல் (vāṉam karuttal) — to be or become cloudy
  • Tamil: மேகமூட்டம் ஆதல் (mēkamūṭṭam ātal) — to be or become cloudy