
oval | oval: adj. egg-shaped, ovoid, ovate, oviform, obovoid, obovate; elliptical, ellipsoid(al): His mother''s picture hung in an oval frame over the mantel.
ovation | ovation: n. applause, acclamation, acclaim, plaudits, cheers, cheering, clapping, laudation, praise, kudos, Colloq (big) hand: At the conclusion of the concerto, the pianist was given a standing ovation.
over | over: prep. 1 above, on, upon, on top of, atop (of): She spread a tarpaulin over the boat to protect it. 2 more than, greater than, upwards or upward of, in excess of, (over and) above, (over and) beyond; exceeding: Of the 2000 people questioned in our survey, over half said they think prunes are funny. The thieves took over �50,000-worth of paintings. 3 across, to or from or on the other side of; beyond: The children crossed over the river to play in the woods on the other side. 4 for, during, in or over or during the course of, through, throughout: Over the next week she will be working in the Paris office. 5 (all) through, throughout, (all) about, all over: We travelled over the entire country in the course of our holiday. Have you gone over the manuscript I left with you? --adj. 6 done (with), finished, terminated, concluded, ended, past, settled, closed, at an end, over with: I''m afraid it''s all over between us, Carrie. --adv. 7 to, onto, past, beyond, across: This room looks out over the sea. 8 remaining, as a remainder, as surplus, outstanding: When we finished eating, there wasn''t much left over. 9 (once) again, once more, one more time: This pot will have to be cleaned over again. 10 down, to the ground or floor: You almost knocked over the lamp.
overall | overall: adj. total, complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, inclusive, whole, entire, all-embracing, blanket: The overall cost, including materials and labour, came to more than I had expected.
overawe | overawe: v. overwhelm, intimidate, cow, daunt, awe, bully, hector, browbeat, dominate, domineer, frighten, scare, terrify, disconcert, discomfit, upset, abash: The children were overawed by their father''s slightest sign of displeasure.
overbearing | overbearing: adj. repressive, domineering, bullying, imperious, officious, high and mighty, high-handed, overweening, magisterial, lordly, authoritarian, wilful, despotic, dogmatic, autocratic, tyrannical, dictatorial, peremptory, arbitrary, assertive, arrogant, cavalier, haughty, superior, supercilious, pretentious, Colloq bossy, pushy, hoity-toity, highfalutin or hifalutin, snooty, Slang snotty: His temper was harsh and severe, his manner haughty and overbearing.
overcast | overcast: adj. cloudy, clouded, sunless, moonless, starless, murky, grey, louring or lowering, dull, dark, darkened, dreary, sombre, gloomy, dismal, threatening, menacing: The sky was overcast this morning, but the sun is now beginning to shine through.
overcome | overcome: v. 1 beat, defeat, conquer, overpower, subdue, worst, best, triumph over, win (out) (over), prevail (over), overthrow, overwhelm, vanquish, get the better or best of, whip, drub, rout, break, subjugate, suppress, crush, master, Colloq lick: If we do not overcome these temptations, they will overcome us. The superior force easily overcame the tiny group of defenders. --adj. 2 beaten, defeated, overwhelmed, subdued, worsted, bested; affected, speechless, swept off one''s feet, rendered helpless, overpowered, moved, influenced, at a loss (for words), Colloq bowled over: The victim''s parents were overcome with grief when the casualty list was published. Colin was too overcome to speak at the award presentation.
overconfident | overconfident: adj. 1 brash, arrogant, cocksure, cocky, brazen, hubristic, swaggering, audacious, overbearing, vainglorious, Colloq pushy: It is harmful for a sportsman''s morale to be overconfident of winning. 2 heedless, foolhardy, thoughtless, short-sighted, hasty: Rock-climbers should not be overconfident and rely entirely on their ropes.
overcritical | overcritical: adj. supercritical, hypercritical, captious, carping, niggling, cavilling, querulous, fault-finding, finicky, fussy, hair-splitting, difficult, fastidious, harsh, severe, demanding, exacting, small, small-minded, US and Canadian picayune, Colloq picky, nit-picking, pernickety or US also persnickety: You should not be overcritical of Maddy - she''s only a child.
overcrowded | overcrowded: adj. jammed, packed, congested, populous, over-populous, jam-packed, overpopulated; swarming, crawling, choked, packed to the gunwales: The planet is becoming overcrowded. We squeezed into an already overcrowded train.
overdo | overdo: v. 1 carry to excess, overindulge, be intemperate, go or carry to extremes, overact, exaggerate, carry or go too far, overreach, not know when to stop, paint the lily, gild refined gold, out-Herod Herod, Colloq go overboard, do to death, lay it on thick, lay it on with a trowel; go off the deep end: Exercise a little judgement and try not to overdo it. 2 overwork, do too much, overtax, exhaust, fatigue, overload, overburden, Colloq bite off more than one can chew, burn the candle at both ends: Don''t overdo it or you''ll feel the results tomorrow.
overdue | overdue: adj. late, tardy, behindhand, behind, unpunctual, belated, US past due: As it is now December, payment is long overdue. I''ve got an overdue library book to return.
overeat | overeat: v. gorge, binge, gormandize, stuff oneself, overindulge, guzzle, feast, wolf down, overfeed, do the gavage, Colloq pack away, Brit pig, US pig out: People not only overeat but they tend to eat the wrong foods.
overgrown | overgrown: adj. covered, overrun, overspread, luxuriant, weedy, abundant: The walls are all overgrown with ivy.
overhang | overhang: v. 1 jut (out), beetle, bulge (out), project (out), protrude, stick out, loom (out), extend (out), hang (out) over: The balcony overhangs the sea. 2 impend, threaten, menace, imperil, loom: His life was overhung by the threat of blackmail. --n. 3 ledge, projection, bulge, protrusion, extension: A swallow nested under the overhang of the roof.
overhaul | overhaul: v. 1 overtake, pass, gain on or upon, draw ahead of, catch up with, get ahead of, outstrip, outdistance, leave behind, lap: We overhauled the ketch and were beginning to close on the yawl when the squall hit us. 2 renovate, refurbish, recondition, rebuild, restore, repair, service, adjust, patch (up), mend, fix (up): The car engine needs to be thoroughly overhauled. --n. 3 reconditioning, overhauling, refurbishing, rebuilding, renovation, servicing, adjustment, mending, fixing (up): The overhaul of the die-stamping machine will require two months to complete.
overhead | overhead: adv. 1 (up) above, (up) in the air or sky, high up, on high, aloft, skyward: The aeroplanes passed overhead at dawn. --adj. 2 elevated, raised, upper: The crane travels on an overhead track. --n. 3 Brit overheads, US overhead. (basic or fixed) costs, operating cost(s), expense(s), outlay, disbursement(s), running cost(s), expenditure(s), maintenance, cost(s) of doing business: One way to increase profits is by reducing overheads.
overjoyed | overjoyed: adj. delighted, ecstatic, elated, happy, rapturous, euphoric, jubilant, thrilled, cock-a-hoop, transported, Colloq tickled pink, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, Brit over the moon: We were overjoyed to hear your news and to receive the invitation to your wedding.
overlap | overlap: v. 1 lap (over), overlie, overlay, shingle, Technical imbricate, strobilate: Note how the upper tiles overlap the lower to keep the rain out. 2 coincide, correspond, intersect: Our work shifts overlap by four hours. --n. 3 lap, flap, overlay, fly (front) or Brit flies, imbrication: The overlap conceals the buttons that close the skirt on the side.
overload | overload: v. 1 weigh down, burden, overburden, load (up), overtax, saddle with, tax, strain, impede, handicap, oppress, encumber, cumber, overcharge: They overloaded me with so much work that I''ll never finish. --n. 2 surcharge, overcharge, overburden, dead weight, oppression, handicap, tax, load, encumbrance, impediment, hindrance: We had to hire extra people at Christmas to help deal with the overload.
overlook | overlook: v. 1 miss, slip up on, omit, neglect, slight, disregard, fail to notice, ignore, pass over, leave out, forget, Colloq pass up: You overlooked an error on the first page. 2 blink at, wink at, let go (by), let pass, let ride, turn a blind eye to, shut (one''s) eyes to, pretend not to notice, take no notice of, ignore, disregard, forgive, pardon, excuse, permit, allow, forget about, write off, condone, make allowances (for), let bygones be bygones, gloss over: I shall overlook your slowness if you will work late to compensate for it. 3 front on (to), face, give upon, command or afford a view of, look out on or over, have as a vista or view: My room overlooks the lake.
overly | overly: adv. excessively, too, exceedingly, immoderately, disproportionately, unduly, inordinately, extraordinarily, very, Colloq damned: She seemed overly anxious for us to leave.
overpower | overpower: v. 1 overcome, overwhelm, beat, vanquish, conquer, defeat, crush, put down, worst, best, prevail, master, quell, subdue, subjugate: The thugs easily overpowered the elderly couple and took their money. 2 overcome, overwhelm, dumbfound or dumfound, daze, stagger, amaze, stun, stupefy, nonplus, strike, Colloq floor: I was quite overpowered by the grandeur of the house.
overpowering | overpowering: adj. overwhelming, irresistible, powerful, telling, compelling, unendurable, unbearable, oppressive: They presented an overpowering argument against the use of asbestos as an insulator.
overrate | overrate: v. overvalue, make too much of, exaggerate the worth or value of, attach too much importance to, overprize, assess too highly: They insist that his value to the company is overrated and that he should be dismissed.
overreact | overreact: v. exaggerate, make much ado about nothing, make too much of (something), make a mountain out of a molehill, lose all or one''s sense of proportion, blow (up) out of (all) proportion: I''d say that she overreacted by leaving him because he forgot her birthday.
overriding | overriding: adj. dominant, dominating, predominant, predominating, compelling, prevailing, primary, prime, most important, overruling, overwhelming, paramount, preponderant, principal, cardinal, main, chief: His overriding reason for buying the larger dictionary was that it made a better doorstop.
overrun | overrun: v. invade, defeat, attack, ravage, destroy, overwhelm, conquer, harry, vandalize, plunder, maraud, scourge, despoil, sack, strip, pillage, storm, Colloq blitz: Within a week the armies had overrun the country and captured the capital city.
overseas | overseas: adv. abroad: Did you serve overseas during the war?
oversee | oversee: v. direct, manage, watch (over), keep an eye on, administer, superintend, run, supervise, operate, manipulate, handle, control: We employed Gertrude to oversee our offices in Frankfurt.
overseer | overseer: n. superintendent, supervisor, manager, foreman, forewoman, superior, Colloq boss, chief, super, Brit gaffer, US straw boss, (head or chief) honcho: Simon is too hard a taskmaster to be overseer of that sensitive operation.
overshadow | overshadow: v. 1 dominate, outshine, eclipse, dwarf, diminish, minimize, put in or throw into or leave the shade, steal the limelight from, tower over or above, excel: The Crown, overshadowed by the great barons, turned for aid to the Church. 2 spoil, blight, ruin, mar, take (all) the pleasure from, put a damper on, take the edge off, impair, take the enjoyment out of: The news from the east overshadowed everyone''s spirits at the party.
oversight | oversight: n. 1 omission, inadvertence, neglect, laxity, laxness, fault, failure, dereliction, error, mistake, blunder, carelessness, heedlessness: It was owing to an oversight by a clerk that the flight booking was not made. 2 supervision, superintendence, surveillance, management, direction, guidance, administration; charge, care, custody, keeping, hands, protection, auspices: The matter of expenses must be left to the oversight of the committee established to deal with such things.
overstate | overstate: v. exaggerate, magnify, hyperbolize, embroider, overstress, colour, make (too) much of, overdraw, overemphasize, stretch, enlarge, inflate, blow up: They might have overstated the problem by asking for a 24-hour police guard.
overstep | overstep: v. exceed, transcend, surpass, go beyond: Again Hortense has overstepped the bounds of propriety by inviting herself to the reception.
overt | overt: adj. apparent, evident, plain, clear, obvious, manifest, clear-cut, unconcealed, patent, open, visible, observable, public: Moving the troops to the border may be considered an act of overt hostility.
overtake | overtake: v. 1 catch (up with or to), reach, draw level or even with, overhaul, gain on or upon, move by or past, pass, leave behind, outstrip, outdistance: The express train overtakes the local one at Amersham. 2 come upon, seize, catch (unprepared), befall, strike, hit, overwhelm: The weaknesses of old age overtook the actress before she could finish writing her memoirs.
overthrow | overthrow: v. 1 defeat, beat, rout, conquer, overpower, master, bring down, depose, oust, overwhelm, unseat, unhorse, topple, overturn, dethrone, thrash, worst, best: The new leader was overthrown by the partisans in two weeks. Cotswold Rangers overthrew Kent United in last night''s match at Hurley. --n. 2 defeat, rout, conquest, deposing, ousting, unseating, toppling, overturn, overturning, downfall, end, ruin, fall, collapse, destruction, suppression, quashing, crushing, subjugation, US ouster: The overthrow of the military regime was followed by weeks of rioting and looting.
overtone | overtone: n. undertone, connotation, hint, suggestion, innuendo, insinuation, intimation, indication, implication: Do I detect overtones of regret now that you are finally leaving?
overture | overture: n. Often, overtures. approach, advance, offer, proposal, proposition, tender: While they were winning, they rejected all peace overtures.
overturn | overturn: v. 1 turn over, knock down or over, tip over, capsize, up-end, upset, turn turtle, turn upside down, turn topsy-turvy, invert: The tanks overturned when they tried to drive past the huge concrete barriers. On his first day as a waiter, he overturned the soup in a guest''s lap. 2 bring down, overthrow, throw over, upset, depose, unthrone, unseat, oust, eject: The dictatorship was overturned and the country returned to being a democratic republic. --n. 3 overturning, overthrow, unseating, ousting, toppling, fall, destruction, ruin, defeat, US ouster: Could the overturn of the present regime be effected without force of arms?
overwhelm | overwhelm: v. 1 overpower, overcome, overtax, devastate, stagger, crush, defeat, destroy, subdue, suppress, quash, quell, conquer, beat, bring down, prostrate, weigh down, oppress: Overwhelmed by grief, she dissolved into tears. 2 inundate, overcome, engulf, submerge, flood (over); deluge, swamp, bury, immerse: A feeling of terror suddenly overwhelmed me as I watched my safety rope fray and break. In only a few hours the rising waters had completely overwhelmed the house. 3 overcome, stagger, astound, astonish, dumbfound or dumfound, shock, stun, bewilder, confuse, confound, nonplus, surprise, take aback, Colloq bowl over, knock off one''s feet or pins, blow one''s mind, discombobulate, Brit knock for six: We were overwhelmed by the friendly reception that awaited our return.
overwhelming | overwhelming: adj. 1 overpowering, uncontrollable, irresistible, devastating, unendurable, unbearable, crushing, burdensome, formidable: He had an overwhelming sense of shame for what he had said. 2 awesome, awe-inspiring, stupefying, astounding, astonishing, staggering, bewildering, mind-shattering, prodigious, mind-boggling, Colloq mind-blowing: When I first went to live in London, I found its sheer size totally overwhelming.
overwork | overwork: v. 1 overexert, overstrain, overburden, oppress, overtax, overload, overuse: We were so overworked that the quality had to suffer. 2 slave (away), burn the midnight oil, lucubrate: She insisted on overworking in order to get the project finished on time. --n. 3 overexertion, overstrain, strain: I was ready to drop from overwork.
overwrought | overwrought: adj. 1 tense, nervous, jittery, jumpy, fidgety, touchy, in a dither or twitter, all a-twitter, overexcited, on edge, over-stimulated, frantic, frenetic, distracted, Brit strung up, US strung out, Colloq (all) worked up, edgy, in a tizzy, wound up, uptight: They were quite overwrought worrying about the children''s safety. 2 overworked, ornate, elaborate, baroque, rococo, florid, flowery, fussy, ostentatious, busy, gaudy, garish: Some of the Victorian houses were characterized by overwrought gingerbread decoration. A few of his poems are overwrought and difficult to digest.
