What does "overflow" mean?
The spillage resultant from overflowing.
Overflow
/ˈəʊvəˌfləʊ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The spillage resultant from overflowing.
- Grammar: overflow is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: flood, abound, abounds, abundance.
- Useful contrasts: absorb, absorption, clamps.
- Usage evidence: This river is going to overflow.
How to use "overflow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "overflow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "overflow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "overflow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "overflow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "overflow" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "flood" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "overflow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The spillage resultant from overflowing. countable, uncountable
"High crests of these overflows were: Manhattan, 23.0 feet, 8.0 above bankful, on June 16–17; Wamego, 20.8 feet, 4.8 feet above bankful, on June 17; Topeka, 26.8 feet, 5.8 feet above bankful, on June 17; […]"
- 2 a large flow wordnet
- 3 An outlet for escape of excess material. countable, uncountable
- 4 the occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity wordnet
- 5 Excess, superabundance countable, uncountable
"GCN: Do you have an overflow of scripts? JG: I have more than we could ever do, certainly. But there's never an overflow of quality, and quality is really hard to come by, real quality."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The situation where a value exceeds the available numeric range. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To flow over the brim of (a container). transitive
"The river overflowed the levee into the road."
- 2 overflow with a certain feeling wordnet
- 3 To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively. transitive
"The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes."
- 4 flow or run over (a limit or brim) wordnet
- 5 To cause an overflow. transitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To flow over the brim of a container. intransitive
"The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward."
- 7 To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity. intransitive
"The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases."
- 8 To be subject to a load that exceeds limits or capacity.; To have something in superabundance; to abound in something. figuratively, intransitive
"I see and feel that I want the first requisite — a heart overflowing with Divine love towards sinners"
- 9 To (cause to) exceed the available numeric range. ambitransitive
"Calculating 255+1 will overflow an eight-bit byte."
Antonyms
Example
"This river is going to overflow."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "overflow"?
Common synonyms include: flood, abound, abounds, abundance, affluence, alluvion.
How do you use "overflow" in a sentence?
This river is going to overflow.
How do you pronounce "overflow"?
Pronounced /ˈəʊvəˌfləʊ/.
Etymology
From Middle English overflowen, from Old English oferflōwan, equivalent to over- + flow.