overflow

8 definitions • 15 examples

When a liquid overflows, it flows over the edges of a container, etc. because there is too much of it:

The milk overflowed when I poured it into the jug.

Because of heavy rain, the river may overflow its banks.

If a container or a place overflows, whatever is inside it starts coming out because it is too full:

Oh no, the sink is overflowing all over the floor.

The bin was overflowing with rubbish.

When a place overflows, or people or things overflow from somewhere, some people or things have to come out because it cannot contain them all:

The bar was so full that people were overflowing into/onto the street.

His room is overflowing with books.

UK The train was full to overflowing (= so full that there was not space for any more passengers).

so that water or another substance is almost coming over the top:

Someone had filled the sink to overflowing.

If you overflow with thoughts or feelings, you express them strongly:

They were overflowing with emotion at the birth of their baby.

Suddenly, her anger overflowed.

an amount of liquid or number of people that cannot fit in a space:

I put a bucket underneath to catch the overflow from the water tank.

We can't cope with this overflow of patients from the other hospitals.

a pipe that carries away water that is not needed

(of a liquid) to flow over the edges of a container because there is too much, or to contain more of something than can be held:

[ T ] Because of the heavy rains, the river overflowed its banks.

[ I ] The sink quickly overflowed, flooding the room.

[ I ] The train platform was overflowing with passengers.