overflow
overflow — verb
1. When liquid overflows, it goes past the edge because there is more than the cont
When liquid overflows, it goes past the edge because there is more than the container or channel can hold.
Hot soup overflowed the bowl and ran onto Mia's tray.
transitive: overflow a bowl
After the storm, brown water overflowed the ditch beside our house.
Milk overflowed from the pot while Ken answered the phone.
By noon, the river overflowed its banks near the old bridge.
Tea overflowed onto the table when Emma filled the cup too fast.
- spill over
very close in meaning, often stressing liquid going past an edge
- flood
usually suggests covering a wider area, not only passing an edge
- brim over
slightly more literary and often used for something filled right to the top
文法句型
liquid overflows
overflow a bowl, pot, or ditch
overflow its banks
用法筆記
The subject is usually the liquid itself, especially with water, milk, soup, or a river. In transitive use, the object is often the edge or container that the liquid passes over.
常見錯誤
2. A container or enclosed space overflows when there is so much in it that part of
A container or enclosed space overflows when there is so much in it that part of the contents spills beyond the edge.
The sink overflowed after rice blocked the kitchen drain.
container subject: sink overflowed
By sunset, the trash can overflowed with paper plates and cups.
overflow with + contents
The mailbox overflowed with birthday cards from three countries.
The toy box overflowed with blocks after Leo's birthday party.
Our laundry basket overflowed before Saturday morning arrived.
- spill over
close in everyday meaning, but often used when the contents also spread outside
- brim over
more vivid and slightly more literary
- bulge
suggests being too full, but not always with things actually coming out
文法句型
container overflows
overflow with + contents
overflow onto + surface
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is the container or place, not the liquid. It often takes 'with' before the things that are coming out.
常見錯誤
3. A place overflows when extra people or things cannot stay inside and spread into
A place overflows when extra people or things cannot stay inside and spread into nearby areas.
Fans overflowed from the stadium into the streets after the final.
pattern: overflow from one place into another
After the service, cars overflowed from the church lot into the school driveway.
The waiting room overflowed before the clinic opened its second floor.
Books overflowed from the shelves onto the study floor.
At lunch, students overflowed from the cafeteria into the courtyard.
- fit
to go inside the available space without extra people or things outside
- stay within
to remain inside the limits of a place
文法句型
overflow from + place
overflow into + area
overflow onto + surface
用法筆記
Common with crowds, traffic, books, and events. Unlike sense 2, the focus is on extra people or things spreading beyond a full place rather than simply coming out of a container.
4. used for something filled so near the top that the liquid or contents are about
used for something filled so near the top that the liquid or contents are about to run over.
The cook filled each cup to overflowing with thick soup.
phrase: to overflowing
Nora packed the fruit box to overflowing before the school fair.
The gardener watered the stone pot to overflowing.
Aunt Mei filled the bath almost to overflowing.
The sauce bottle was filled to overflowing for the picnic.
- half-fill
to put in only part of what the container can hold
文法句型
fill something to overflowing
pack something to overflowing
用法筆記
This meaning is mostly seen in the phrase 'to overflowing' after verbs such as 'fill', 'pack', or 'load'. It is less common than the ordinary verb senses above.
5. If a person, letter, or other expression overflows with a feeling or thought, it
If a person, letter, or other expression overflows with a feeling or thought, it shows a great deal of it.
Nina overflowed with pride when her son played the first note.
overflow with + feeling noun
The letter overflowed with thanks for the nurses at City Hospital.
inanimate subject: letter overflowed with thanks
Aunt Rosa overflowed with relief after Ben finally apologized.
After the win, the captain overflowed with joy in every interview.
The poem overflowed with anger after the factory accident.
- brim with
very close in meaning and also slightly literary
- bubble over
suggests feeling becoming hard to hold in
- burst with
stronger and more dramatic
文法句型
overflow with + feeling
overflow with + thoughts
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'with' plus a feeling or thought noun. This sense is more literary and more expressive than simply saying someone was very happy, angry, or thankful.
常見錯誤
overflow — noun
1. an extra amount of liquid, people, or other things that goes beyond what a space
an extra amount of liquid, people, or other things that goes beyond what a space can take.
Workers cleared the overflow from the basement after the storm.
noun: overflow from a place
Police guided the overflow into a second parking area.
The hotel opened a side room for the overflow from dinner.
Sandbags stopped the overflow from reaching the back door.
Volunteers served tea to the overflow waiting outside the hall.
- shortage
a situation where there is less than needed
文法句型
overflow from + place
overflow of + people or liquid
用法筆記
Often followed by 'from' to show where the extra liquid or people came from. It can refer to water, traffic, or people outside a full room or event.
2. a pipe for letting extra water out when a sink, tank, or similar container becom
a pipe for letting extra water out when a sink, tank, or similar container becomes too full.
The plumber replaced the overflow under the bathroom sink.
collocation: sink overflow
Leaves blocked the overflow on the garden water tank.
Dad checked the overflow before filling the fish pond.
Rust had eaten through the old overflow behind the wall.
The overflow sends extra rainwater into the back drain.
- drain
a broader word for something that carries water away
- outlet
focuses on the place where water leaves rather than the whole pipe
- waste pipe
a clear technical term for a pipe that takes used or extra water away
文法句型
tank overflow
sink overflow
overflow for + container
用法筆記
Common in plumbing and water-tank contexts. In everyday speech, people may also say 'overflow pipe' when they want to make the meaning fully clear.