noun · verb · 5 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.
/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)pæs/
/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)pɑːs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/əʊvə(ɹ)ˈpæs/
/əʊvə(ɹ)ˈpɑːs/
CMU ARPABET:OW1 V ER0 P AE2 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, Philippines, US
Examples
The homeless man had built a little shelter, complete with cook-stove, beneath a concrete overpass.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To pass above something, as when flying or moving on a higher road.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, Philippines, US
Examples
Gillian watched the overpassing shoppers on the second floor of the mall, as she relaxed in the bench on the ground floor.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To exceed, overstep, or transcend a limit, threshold, or goal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, Philippines, US, transitive
Examples
Marshall was really overpassing his authority when he ordered the security guards to fire their tasers at the trespassers.
The precocious student had really overpassed her peers, and was reading books written for children several years older.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To disregard, skip, or miss something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, Philippines, US, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
bridge formed by the upper level of a crossing of two highways at different levels
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: flyover
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bridge, span
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *peth2-der. Proto-Italic *pattus Latin passus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Vulgar Latin *passāre Old French passerbor. Middle English passen English pass English overpass From over- + pass.
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كُبْري
(kubri)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Bulgarian:
надлез
(nadlez)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Chinese Mandarin:
立交橋 /立交桥
(lìjiāoqiáo)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Czech:
nadjezd
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Farefare:
sor-lasɩŋa class 3/4
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Finnish:
ylikäytävä
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Finnish:
ylikulkusilta
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Finnish:
ylikulku
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
French:
autopont
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
French:
pont autoroutier
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Georgian:
მიწისზედა გადასასვლელი
(mic̣iszeda gadasasvleli)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
German:
Überführung
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Hindi:
उपरिगामी सेतु
(uprigāmī setu)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Hungarian:
felüljáró
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Indonesian:
jalan layang
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Irish:
uasbhealach
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Italian:
cavalcavia
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Italian:
viadotto
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Italian:
sovrappasso
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Japanese:
跨線橋
(kosenkyō)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Japanese:
陸橋
(rikkyō)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Macedonian:
на́двозник
(nádvoznik)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Polish:
wiadukt
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Portuguese:
viaduto
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Romanian:
pasaj suprateran
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Russian:
путепрово́д
(puteprovód)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Russian:
эстака́да
(estakáda)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Russian:
виаду́к
(viadúk)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Serbo-Croatian:
nadvožnjak
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Spanish:
puente
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Spanish:
paso superior
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Spanish:
pasarela
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Spanish:
paso elevado
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Spanish:
paso a desnivel
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Tamil:
மேம்பாலம்
(mēmpālam)
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
Vietnamese:
cầu vượt
— A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc
