Over – Meaning, Definition, Synonyms, and Antonyms
Over is used as an “adverb” (and also often as a preposition) in English. At its core, it means something like “above” or “across,” and it’s also used to mean “finished” or “completed.”
Meaning:
Over can describe a position above something, movement across a surface, or the idea that an action/time has ended. For example, you can say the plane flies over a city, or you can say the meeting is over (meaning it has finished).
Definition:
To a point beyond or past something; also, in time, “completed” or “no longer happening.”
Example Sentences:
- The plane flew over the mountains and landed safely.
- The meeting is over; you can go home now.
- He went over the instructions to make sure he understood them.
- She looked over the contract before signing, just to be careful.
- By the time we arrived, the argument was already over.
Over Synonyms:
- Above
- Across
- Beyond
- Past
- Across and over can also overlap with the idea of “checking again,” as in overcome (different meaning) or overachieve (different meaning)—but for “move/position,” above/beyond/across are closer.
- Reviewing or repeating the idea can be captured by words like “go over,” though the exact synonym depends on context.
Over Antonyms:
- Under
- Below
- Beneath
- Unfinished
- Incomplete
- Ongoing
- Still happening
If you’re building vocabulary around similar meanings, you may also like these related entries such as On (for “in operation” or “covered by a switch”), and Overjoy (a different sense of “over,” used for strong emotion).
Explore more positive words that start with O
