Overflowing

How to spell overflowing

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce overflowing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does overflowing mean?

1. adjectiveFilling something so completely that the contents spill or rise past its edges.

Overflowing in a sentence

• The bin was overflowing with cardboard by the end of the week.

• After the storm, the gutters were overflowing and dripping onto the path.

Where does overflowing come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built entirely from native English parts, joining the prefix over-, meaning 'above' or 'beyond', to the verb 'flow', which comes from the Old English flowan, meaning 'to run as a liquid'. The compound verb 'overflowan' already existed in Old English, describing water that rose past the edges of a container or bank, and it has flowed steadily into modern English with little change in meaning. The -ing ending is the ordinary participle suffix, here turning the verb into a description of something brimming over right now. Because all three pieces are common and transparent, the spelling holds no foreign surprises; the only thing to watch is keeping the double, separate elements clear: a single 'l' in 'flow' and the 'ow' that recurs in both 'over' and 'flow'. The same Germanic root sits inside relatives like 'flood' and the everyday verb 'flow' itself.

How the word is built

• over- (above, beyond)
• flow (Old English flowan: to flow)
• -ing (present participle/adjective suffix)