overrun

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US verb /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/ noun /ˈoʊ.vɚˌɹʌn/ UK verb /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹʌn/ noun /ˈəʊ.vəˌɹʌn/ See IPA manual

Freq #15790

Meanings

1

verb
to spread over or fill a place in uncontrolled or excessive numbers

US /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/ UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹʌn/

Without regular pruning, ivy will overrun the garden wall.
2

verb
to invade, defeat, and occupy a place or position

US /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/ UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹʌn/

The advancing army overran the border forts within two days.
3

verb
to continue beyond an allotted limit of time, cost, or space

US /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/ UK /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹʌn/

The meeting may overrun its scheduled hour.
4

noun
an amount produced, spent, or used beyond what was planned

US /ˈoʊ.vɚˌɹʌn/ UK /ˈəʊ.vəˌɹʌn/

A printing overrun left the publisher with five hundred extra copies.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to spread over or fill a... infest swamp engulf

2 verb · to invade, defeat, and... invade occupy overwhelm

3 verb · to continue beyond an... exceedovershoot

4 noun · an amount produced, spent,... excessoverproductionoverspend

Opposites

contain limit withdraw

Word family

Derived forms overrunner

Related forms run overovershootoverproduction

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

cost overrun
the amount by which actual spending exceeds the planned budget

Noun + noun

Etymology

From over- + run, continuing an Old English compound pattern. The earliest senses concern running or ranging across a place; military occupation, uncontrolled spreading, and exceeding a planned limit all develop from the image of passing beyond a boundary.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# overrun

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɹʌn/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌəʊ.vəˈɹʌn/
**Frequency rank:** 15790

## Meanings
1. to spread over or fill a place in uncontrolled or excessive numbers
2. to invade, defeat, and occupy a place or position
3. to continue beyond an allotted limit of time, cost, or space
4. an amount produced, spent, or used beyond what was planned

## Examples
- Without regular pruning, ivy will overrun the garden wall.
- The advancing army overran the border forts within two days.
- The meeting may overrun its scheduled hour.
- A printing overrun left the publisher with five hundred extra copies.

## Synonyms
- infest
- overwhelm
- exceed
- overshoot

## Antonyms
- contain
- limit
- withdraw

## Derived Forms
- overrunner

## Related Forms
- run over
- overshoot
- overproduction

## Etymology
From over- + run, continuing an Old English compound pattern. The earliest senses concern running or ranging across a place; military occupation, uncontrolled spreading, and exceeding a planned limit all develop from the image of passing beyond a boundary.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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