2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use over-age to describe someone who is doing something that is usually done by much younger people, and which therefore seems inappropriate or silly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …an over-age nightclub singer.
over|all ◆◆◇ (overalls ) The adjective and adverb are pronounced /oʊ vərɔː l/. The noun is pronounced /oʊ vərɔːl/. 1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use overall to indicate that you are talking about a situation in general or about the whole of something. □ …the overall rise in unemployment. □ Cut down your overall amount of physical activity. ● ADV Overall is also an adverb. □ Overall I was disappointed. □ The college has few ways to assess the quality of education overall.
2 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Overalls consist of a single piece of clothing that combines trousers and a jacket. You wear overalls over your clothes in order to protect them while you are working. □ …workers in blue overalls.
3 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Overalls are trousers that are attached to a piece of cloth which covers your chest and which has straps going over your shoulders. [AM ] □ An elderly man dressed in faded overalls took the witness stand. in BRIT, use dungarees 4 N‑COUNT An overall is a piece of clothing shaped like a coat that you wear over your clothes in order to protect them while you are working. [BRIT ] SYNONYMS overall ADJ 1
totaclass="underline" The total cost of the project would be more than $240 million.
generaclass="underline" The figures represent a general decline in employment.
o ver|all ma|jo r|ity (overall majorities ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If a political party wins an overall majority in an election or vote, they get more votes than the total number of votes or seats won by all their opponents.
over|arch|ing /oʊ vərɑː r tʃ I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] You use overarching to indicate that you are talking about something that includes or affects everything or everyone. [FORMAL ] □ The overarching question seems to be what happens when the U.S. pulls out?
over|arm /oʊ vərɑː r m/ ADJ [ADJ n] You use overarm to describe actions, such as throwing a ball, in which you stretch your arm over your shoulder. □ …a single overarm stroke.
over|awe /oʊ vərɔː / (overawes , overawing , overawed ) VERB [usu passive] If you are overawed by something or someone, you are very impressed by them and a little afraid of them. □ [be V -ed] Don't be overawed by people in authority, however important they are. ● over|awed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ Benjamin said that he had been rather overawed to meet one of the Billington family.
over|bal|ance /oʊ və r bæ ləns/ (overbalances , overbalancing , overbalanced ) VERB If you overbalance , you fall over or nearly fall over, because you are not standing properly. □ [V ] He overbalanced and fell head first.
over|bear|ing /oʊ və r beə r I ŋ/ ADJ An overbearing person tries to make other people do what he or she wants in an unpleasant and forceful way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ with ] He can be quite overbearing with his staff.
over|blown /oʊ və r bloʊ n/ ADJ Something that is overblown makes something seem larger, more important, or more significant than it really is. □ Warnings of disaster may be overblown. □ The reporting of the hostage story was fair, if sometimes overblown.
over|board /oʊ və r bɔː r d/
1 ADV [ADV after v] If you fall overboard , you fall over the side of a boat into the water. □ His sailing instructor fell overboard and drowned during a lesson.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone goes overboard , you mean that they do something to a greater extent than is necessary or reasonable. [INFORMAL ] □ Women sometimes damage their skin by going overboard with abrasive cleansers.
3 PHRASE If you throw something overboard , for example an idea or suggestion, you reject it completely. □ They had thrown their neutrality overboard in the crisis.
over|book /oʊ və r bʊ k/ (overbooks , overbooking , overbooked ) VERB If an organization such as an airline or a theatre company overbooks , they sell more tickets than they have places for. □ [V ] Planes are crowded, airlines overbook, and departures are almost never on time. [Also V n]
over|booked /oʊ və r bʊ kt/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something such as a hotel, bus, or aircraft is overbooked , more people have booked than the number of places that are available. □ Sorry, the plane is overbooked.
over|bur|dened /oʊ və r bɜː r d ə nd/
1 ADJ If a system or organization is overburdened , it has too many people or things to deal with and so does not function properly. □ [+ by ] The city's hospitals are overburdened by casualties. □ …an overburdened air traffic control system. [Also + with ]
2 ADJ If you are overburdened with something such as work or problems, you have more of it than you can cope with. □ [+ with ] The Chief Inspector disliked being overburdened with insignificant detail. □ …overburdened teachers. [Also + by ]
over|came /oʊ və r ke I m/ Overcame is the past tense of overcome .
over|ca|pac|ity /oʊvə r kəpæ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT If there is overcapacity in a particular industry or area, more goods have been produced than are needed, and the industry is therefore less profitable than it could be. [BUSINESS ] □ There is huge overcapacity in the world car industry.
over|cast /oʊ və r kɑː st, -kæ st/ ADJ If it is overcast , or if the sky or the day is overcast , the sky is completely covered with cloud and there is not much light. □ For three days it was overcast. □ The weather forecast is for showers and overcast skies.