English Reference
verb · noun

overflow

v. · n.
US /ˈoʊvɝˌfɫoʊ/ over·flow UK spelling overflowed, overflows

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    v.to have a very strong feeling that you cannot hide.

    v.to be filled with a particular emotion or quality to the point of it being visible or overwhelming.

    Simple

    Her heart overflowed with joy when she saw her family at the airport.

    In context

    The speaker's voice overflowed with emotion as he recounted the sacrifices made by the community during the crisis.

    teembrim
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    v.to try to store a number that is too big for a computer's memory.

    v.to exceed the maximum capacity of a numeric register or storage buffer. Often used in the context of programming errors.

    Simple

    The program crashed because the calculation caused the variable to overflow.

    In context

    The legacy system failed to handle the high-precision data, causing the integer to overflow and return a negative value.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.an extra amount of something that does not fit in the usual space.

    n.the amount or number of people that exceeds the capacity of a particular space or system.

    Simple

    The hotel was full, so they put the overflow of guests in a nearby building.

    In context

    To manage the overflow of applicants, the university opened a secondary campus for the introductory lectures.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical

    n.a pipe that lets extra liquid escape so a tank does not flood.

    n.an outlet or pipe provided to allow the escape of excess liquid to prevent flooding.

    Simple

    Water started dripping from the overflow pipe because the tank was too full.

    In context

    The plumber checked the overflow to ensure that any blockage in the main line wouldn't result in internal water damage.

Usage overflowed its banks

France’s attacking ranks may overflow with quality, but for a player with magic in both boots, that seemed odd.

The Guardian· 18 Aug 2026

The letters he wrote to far-flung friends in those years overflow with longing, in language eerily like what he used to describe his proof.

The New York Times· 23 Aug 2009

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

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

This entry
Origin Old English oferflōwan
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated