overtake

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/ UK /əʊ̯vəːˈteɪ̯k/ See IPA manual

Freq #18551

Meanings

1

verb
To pass another vehicle or person moving in the same direction.

He overtook the slow truck on the motorway.
2

verb
To become greater or more successful than something else.

Online sales have overtaken those in the stores.
3

verb
To affect someone suddenly and powerfully.

A feeling of exhaustion overtook her.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pass another vehicle or... pass

3 verb · to affect someone suddenly... overwhelm

Word family

Forms overtakenovertakesovertakingovertook

Derived forms overtakableovertakelessovertakerreovertake

Related forms exceed surpass

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him

Etymology

From Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take.

overtaken Middle English overnimen Middle English oferniman Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# overtake

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /oʊ̯vɚˈteɪ̯k/
**IPA (UK):** /əʊ̯vəːˈteɪ̯k/
**Frequency rank:** 18551

## Meanings
1. To pass another vehicle or person moving in the same direction.
2. To become greater or more successful than something else.
3. To affect someone suddenly and powerfully.

## Examples
- He overtook the slow truck on the motorway.
- Online sales have overtaken those in the stores.
- A feeling of exhaustion overtook her.

## Derived Forms
- overtakable
- overtakeless
- overtaker
- reovertake

## Related Forms
- exceed
- surpass

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: overtaken
- Root: overnimen
- Root: oferniman

## Etymology
From Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take.

## AI Etymology
Overtake comes from Middle English overtaken, likely a replacement alteration (as the Middle English verb taken replaced nimen (“to take”)), of Middle English overnimen (“to overtake”), from Old English oferniman (“to take by surprise, overtake”), equivalent to over- + take. Modern senses include to pass another vehicle or person moving in the same direction and to become greater or more successful than something else. The wider word family includes derivatives such as overtakable, overtakeless, overtaker, and reovertake and related forms such as exceed and surpass.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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