overbalance

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled overballance

US /ˌoʊvɚˈbæləns/ UK /ˌəʊvəˈbæləns/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to lose balance and topple, or to outweigh in importance

He leaned too far and overbalanced off the ladder.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to lose balance and topple,... outweigh topple capsize preponderate overturn outbalance

Opposites

balance steady stabilize

Word family

Related forms balance counterbalance

Etymology

From over- ('beyond, in excess') plus balance, from Latin bilanx ('having two scale-pans'). Means to outweigh or to lose equilibrium and topple.

bilanx Latin lanx Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# overbalance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌoʊvɚˈbæləns/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌəʊvəˈbæləns/

## Meanings
1. to lose balance and topple, or to outweigh in importance

## Examples
- He leaned too far and overbalanced off the ladder.

## Synonyms
- outweigh
- topple
- capsize
- preponderate
- overturn
- outbalance

## Antonyms
- balance
- steady
- stabilize

## Related Forms
- balance
- counterbalance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bilanx
- Root: lanx

## Etymology
From over- ('beyond, in excess') plus balance, from Latin bilanx ('having two scale-pans'). Means to outweigh or to lose equilibrium and topple.

## AI Etymology
Overbalance comes from over- ('beyond, in excess') plus balance, from Latin bilanx ('having two scale-pans'). Means to outweigh or to lose equilibrium and topple. The etymological trail includes Latin bilanx and Latin lanx. As a verb, overbalance means to lose balance and topple, or to outweigh in importance. The same family is visible in related forms such as balance and counterbalance.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown