What does "overrun" mean?
An instance of overrunning.
Overrun
/ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An instance of overrunning.
- Grammar: overrun is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accroach, adopt, appropriate, arrogate.
- Useful contrasts: consistent timing, remaining time, unexceeded.
- Usage evidence: Even tough it's such a big garden, it would be wasted if we let it get overrun with weeds.
How to use "overrun"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "overrun" 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 "overrun" 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 "overrun" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "overrun" 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 "overrun" 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 "accroach" 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 "overrun", 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 An instance of overrunning. countable, uncountable
"Some of the stadiums being built for the World Cup soccer tournament, scheduled for next year, have also been criticized for delays and cost overruns, and have become subjects of derision as protesters question whether they will become white elephants."
- 2 too much production or more than expected wordnet
- 3 The amount by which something overruns. countable, uncountable
"At least this year's overrun isn't as unmanageable as last year!"
- 4 An area of terrain beyond the end of a runway that is kept flat and unobstructed to allow an aircraft that runs off the end of the runway to stop safely. countable, uncountable
"The runway has 7,000 feet of paved surface, plus a 2,000-foot grass overrun."
- 5 Air that is whipped into a frozen dessert to make it easier to serve and eat. countable, uncountable
"If ice cream has too much overrun, it will be airy and foamy and will lack flavor."
Verb
- 1 To defeat an enemy and invade in great numbers, seizing the enemy positions conclusively. transitive
- 2 run beyond or past wordnet
- 3 To infest, swarm over, flow over. transitive
"The vine overran its trellis; the field is overrun with weeds."
- 4 seize the position of and defeat wordnet
- 5 To run past; to run beyond. transitive
"The athlete overran the finish line and kept going."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 invade in great numbers wordnet
- 7 To run past; to run beyond.; To run past the end of. transitive
"The aircraft didn't stop in time and overran the runway."
- 8 flow or run over (a limit or brim) wordnet
- 9 To continue for too long. intransitive
"The performance overran by ten minutes, which caused some people to miss their bus home."
- 10 occupy in large numbers or live on a host wordnet
- 11 To carry (some type, a line or column, etc.) backward or forward into an adjacent line or page.
- 12 To go beyond; to extend in part beyond. transitive
"In machinery, a sliding piece is said to overrun its bearing when its forward end goes beyond it."
- 13 To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon. transitive
"None of them the feeble overren."
Antonyms
Example
"Even tough it's such a big garden, it would be wasted if we let it get overrun with weeds."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "overrun"?
Common synonyms include: accroach, adopt, appropriate, arrogate, assume, attack.
How do you use "overrun" in a sentence?
Even tough it's such a big garden, it would be wasted if we let it get overrun with weeds.
How do you pronounce "overrun"?
Pronounced /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/.
Etymology
From over- + run.