Standard Lemma guide

overflow

noun · verb · 15 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.

  • ōʹvə-flō
  • /ˈəʊvəˌfləʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • ōʹvər-flō
  • /ˈoʊvɚˌfloʊ/
  • ō-və-flōʹ
  • /ˌəʊvəˈfləʊ/
  • ō-vər-flōʹ
  • /ˌoʊvɚˈfloʊ/
  • rhymes with -əʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: OW1 V ER0 F L OW2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: OW2 V ER0 F L OW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The spillage resultant from overflowing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An outlet for escape of excess material.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Excess, superabundance

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To flow over the brim of (a container).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The river overflowed the levee into the road.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overrun

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cause an overflow.

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 flow over the brim of a container.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brim over, overbrim, overflood

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brim over, overbrim

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity.

To have something in superabundance; to abound in something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brim over, overbrim

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To (cause to) exceed the available numeric range.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

a large flow

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flood, outpouring

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flow, stream

Narrower terms: effusion

13

noun

Meaning 13

the occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: runoff, overspill

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flow, flowing

14

verb

Meaning 14

overflow with a certain feeling

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The children bubbled over with joy
  • My boss was bubbling over with anger

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bubble over, spill over

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: seethe, boil

15

verb

Meaning 15

flow or run over (a limit or brim)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overrun, well over, run over, brim over

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spill, run out

Narrower terms: geyser

History

Etymology

From Middle English overflowen, from Old English oferflōwan, equivalent to over- + flow.

Across languages

Translations

159 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: derdh — spillage
  • Arabic: فَيَضَان (fayaḍān) — spillage
  • Armenian: արտահոսք (artahoskʻ) — spillage
  • Armenian: գերհոսք (gerhoskʻ) — spillage
  • Finnish: ylivuoto — spillage
  • French: débordement — spillage
  • German: Übergelaufene(s) — spillage
  • German: Übergeflossene(s) — spillage
  • Greek: υπερχείλιση (ypercheílisi) — spillage
  • Greek: ξεχείλισμα (xecheílisma) — spillage
  • Italian: straripamento — spillage
  • Italian: eccesso — spillage
  • Italian: eccedenza — spillage
  • Kapampangan: manyampukaki — spillage
  • Kazakh: аса толтыру (asa toltyru) — spillage
  • Latin: alluviō — spillage
  • Malay: limpahan — spillage
  • Polish: wylew — spillage
  • Portuguese: transbordo — spillage
  • Portuguese: transbordamento — spillage
  • Romanian: revărsare — spillage
  • Russian: переполне́ние (perepolnénije) — spillage
  • Russian: перели́в (perelív) — spillage
  • Russian: избы́ток (izbýtok) — spillage
  • Spanish: desbordamiento — spillage
  • Spanish: derrame — spillage
  • Spanish: rebalse — spillage
  • Spanish: rebosadura — spillage
  • Spanish: rebosamiento — spillage
  • Spanish: rebose — spillage
  • Tagalog: pag-apaw — spillage
  • Ottoman Turkish: فیضان (feyezân) — spillage
  • Armenian: ջրաթափ (ǰratʻapʻ) — outlet
  • Armenian: հեղուկաթափ անցք (heġukatʻapʻ ancʻkʻ) — outlet
  • German: Überlauf — outlet
  • Greek: υπερχείλιση (ypercheílisi) — outlet
  • Italian: sfogo — outlet
  • Italian: uscita — outlet
  • Polish: przelew — outlet
  • Polish: odpływ — outlet
  • Portuguese: ladrão — outlet
  • Spanish: aliviadero — outlet
  • Spanish: escape — outlet
  • German: Uberschuß — excess
  • Polish: nadmiar — excess
  • Czech: přetečení — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Finnish: ylivuoto — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Greek: υπερχείλιση (ypercheílisi) — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Italian: overflow — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Lithuanian: perpildymas — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Polish: przepełnienie — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Portuguese: overflow — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Portuguese: transbordamento — computing: situation where a value exceeds the available range
  • Arabic: فَاضَ (fāḍa) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Arabic: فاض (fāḍ) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Armenian: հորդել (hordel) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Armenian: հեղեղվել (heġeġvel) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Armenian: ողողվել (oġoġvel) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Eastern Bontoc: choron — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Eastern Bontoc: kor-as — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Catalan: desbordar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Catalan: vessar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 溢出 (yìchū) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 漫溢 (mànyì) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Esperanto: elrandiĝi — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Finnish: ylitäyttää — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • French: déborder — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Gagauz: taşmaa — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • German: überfließen — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • German: überlaufen — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Greek: ξεχειλίζω (xecheilízo) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Greek: υπερεκχειλίζω (yperekcheilízo) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Hebrew: גָּלַשׁ (galásh) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Hebrew: עָלָה עַל גְּדוֹתָיו ('alá 'al gdotáv) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Tuwali Ifugao: lakbi — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Tuwali Ifugao: habong — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Ilocano: lupias — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Italian: traboccare — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Italian: ridondare — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Italian: sommergere — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Japanese: 溢れる (afureru) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Lubuagan Kalinga: lumay-as — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Kapampangan: manyampukaki — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Latin: stāgnō — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Latin: inundō — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Malay: limpah atas — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: puha — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: ngāekieki — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: renga — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: ngawhā — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: engaenga — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: puhake — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Māori: tōrena — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Norwegian Bokmål: renne over — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: renne over — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Polish: przepełniać — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Polish: przepełnić — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Portuguese: transbordar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Russian: переполня́ть (perepolnjátʹ) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Russian: перелива́ться (perelivátʹsja) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuir thairis — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Spanish: colmar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Spanish: rebalsar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Spanish: desbordar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Spanish: bosar (disused) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Tagalog: umapaw — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Tagalog: apawan — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Thai: ล้น (lón) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Turkish: taşmak — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Old Anatolian Turkish: طاشمق (daşmaq) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Ottoman Turkish: طاشمق (taşmak) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Uyghur: تاشماق (tashmaq) — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Venetan: ndar par sora — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Venetan: simar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Venetan: ẑimar — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Venetan: limegare — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Vietnamese: tràn — (transitive) to fill beyond the limits of
  • Polish: zalewać — (transitive) to cover with a liquid
  • Polish: zalać — (transitive) to cover with a liquid
  • Thai: ท่วม (tûuam) — (transitive) to cover with a liquid
  • Vietnamese: tràn ngập — (transitive) to cover with a liquid
  • Galician: botar por fóra — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Latin: inundō — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Latin: redundō — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Latin: stāgnō — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: puhake — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: pūhakehake — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: pūrena — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: kōhure — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: ngāekieki — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Māori: kōrengarenga — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Polish: przelewać — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Polish: przelać — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Romanian: se revărsa — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Russian: перелива́ться (perelivátʹsja) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Russian: перели́ться (perelítʹsja) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Russian: выходить за пределы (vyxoditʹ za predely) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Russian: течь через край (tečʹ čerez kraj) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Spanish: desbordarse — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Spanish: rebalsar — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Spanish: rebosar — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Spanish: desbordar — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Tày: bjằn — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Ottoman Turkish: آزمق (azmak) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Ukrainian: перелива́тися (perelyvátysja) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Ukrainian: перели́тися (perelýtysja) — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Vietnamese: tràn — (intransitive) to flow over the brim of a container
  • Russian: переполня́ться (perepolnjátʹsja) — (intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity
  • Russian: перепо́лниться (perepólnitʹsja) — (intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity
  • Ukrainian: переповня́тися (perepovnjátysja) — (intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity
  • Ukrainian: перепо́внитися (perepóvnytysja) — (intransitive) to be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity
  • Finnish: aiheuttaa ylivuoto — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Finnish: ylittää rajoitus — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Italian: ridondare — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Polish: przepełniać — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Polish: przepełnić — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Russian: переполня́ться (perepolnjátʹsja) — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Russian: переполня́ть (perepolnjátʹ) — computing: to exceed the available numeric range
  • Vietnamese: tràn — computing: to exceed the available numeric range