overflowing

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An overflowing situation or place has more than what it can hold, like water that's spilled over its container.

When we talk about something being overflowing, we often mean that there's too much of whatever it is, and it's spilling out into other areas. For example, if your room is overflowing with clothes, you might have too many to fit in your closet or dresser. If a cup is overflowing with juice, it means the liquid has spilled over its rim. In a more emotional sense, someone who's overflowing with kindness might be really generous and giving, sharing their time and attention with everyone around them.

How common is "overflowing"?

Word overflowing is considered rare in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

verb

To flow over the brim of (a container).
Example: The river overflowed the levee.
To cover with a liquid, literally or figuratively.
Example: The flash flood overflowed most of the parkland and some homes.
To cause an overflow.
To flow over the edge of a container.
Example: The waters overflowed into the Ninth Ward.
To exceed limits or capacity.
Example: The hospital ER was overflowing with flu cases.
To be superabundant; to abound.

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noun

Overflow

Real examples of "overflowing" in context

Bob Odenkirk Rewatches Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Nobody 2 & More | Vanity Fair

Entertainment

David is one of the funniest people I've ever met and his brain is overflowing with comic takes and points of view and he's got a strong political point of view too.

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