English Reference
preposition · adverb · adjective · noun · interjection

over

prep. · adv. · adj. · n. · interj.
US /ˈoʊvɝ/ UK /ˈəʊvɐ/ over UK spelling overed, overing, overs

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    prep.in a position higher than something, or covering it.

    prep.positioned vertically above or extending across the surface of something.

    Simple

    She put a warm blanket over the sleeping child.

    In context

    The heavy clouds hung low over the valley, obscuring the mountain peaks from view.

  2. 02 A1 Beginner

    prep.from one side of something to the other.

    prep.expressing movement across a space, barrier, or surface from one side to another.

    Simple

    The dog jumped over the fence to chase the ball.

    In context

    The hikers struggled to carry their equipment over the narrow stone bridge.

  3. 03 A1 Beginner

    prep.higher than a particular number, amount, or age.

    prep.exceeding a specified numerical value, quantity, or limit.

    Simple

    There were over fifty people waiting in line for the tickets.

    In context

    The project cost significantly over the original budget due to unforeseen structural issues.

  4. 04 A2 Elementary

    prep.throughout a period of time.

    prep.occurring during or throughout the duration of a specified period.

    Simple

    We discussed the new plan over lunch yesterday.

    In context

    The company's reputation grew steadily over the next decade as they expanded into international markets.

  5. 05 A2 Elementary

    adv.moving toward a person or a specific location.

    adv.indicating movement toward a specific destination or the speaker's location.

    Simple

    Why don't you come over to my house this evening?

    In context

    He walked over to the window to get a better look at the street below.

  6. 06 B1 Intermediate

    adv.doing something one more time, often because the first time was not good.

    adv.indicating repetition, often from the beginning.

    Simple

    I made too many mistakes, so I had to start the essay over.

    In context

    The director asked the actors to do the scene over until the timing was perfect.

  7. 07 A2 Elementary

    adj.when something has reached its end.

    adj.having reached a conclusion or end state.

    Simple

    I am so glad the winter is finally over.

    In context

    Once the meeting was over, the staff gathered in the breakroom to discuss the announcements.

  8. 08 B2 Upper Intermediate British English Sport

    n.a set of six balls bowled in the game of cricket.

    n.a sequence of six legal deliveries bowled from one end of the pitch.

    Simple

    The bowler took two wickets in his final over of the match.

    In context

    The captain decided to change the bowling attack after a particularly expensive over.

  9. 09 B1 Intermediate Technical

    interj.you say this on a radio to show you have finished speaking and want an answer.

    interj.a procedural word used in radio telephony to signal the end of a transmission while expecting a response.

    Simple

    I have reached the target location, over.

    In context

    The pilot confirmed the coordinates and ended the transmission with a crisp 'over'.

    out

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Proto-West Germanic *obar Old English ofer Middle English over English over From Middle English over, from Old English ofer, from Proto-West Germanic obar, from Proto-Germanic uber (“over”), from Proto-Indo-European upér, related to upó. Akin to Scots ower (“over”), Yola oer, ower, owr (“over”), Saterland Frisian uur (“over”), West Frisian oer (“over, across”), Cimbrian übar (“over”), Dutch over (“over”), German ober, über, ueber (“over, above”), Limburgish euver, övver (“over”), Low German över, üöver (“over”), Luxembourgish iwwer (“over”), Mòcheno iber (“over”), Yiddish איבער (iber, “over”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål over (“over”), Faroese yvir (“over”), Icelandic yfir (“over”), Norwegian Nynorsk over, yver, yvi (“over”), Swedish över (“over”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂 (ufar, “over”), Latin super (“over, above”), Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér, “over, above”), Albanian upri (“group of peasants”), Waigali var, vari, Sanskrit उपरि (upári, “over”). Doublet of uber, super, and hyper.

Etymology 2

From Middle English over (“riverbank, seashore, brink”), from Old English ōfer (“riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border”), from Proto-Germanic *ōferaz. Cognate with Dutch oever (“riverbank, shore”), German Ufer (“shore, shoreline, riverbank”), Low German Över (“shore, riverbank”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *upér
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated