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- DictionaryO·ver·run
verb
- 1. spread over or occupy (a place) in large numbers: "the Mediterranean has been overrun by tourists"
- 2. continue beyond or above an expected or allowed time or cost: "he mustn't overrun his budget"
noun
- 1. an instance of something exceeding an expected or allowed time or cost: "an unexpectedly large cost overrun in the program"
- 2. the movement or extension of something beyond an allotted or particular position or space: "the system acts as a brake to prevent cable overrun"
Learn the meaning, synonyms, examples, and history of the verb and noun overrun. Overrun can mean to defeat and occupy, to spread or swarm over, to run or go beyond, or to flow over.
an amount in excess; surplus: an overrun of 10,000 copies of a new book. the exceeding of estimated costs in design, development, and production, especially as estimated in a contract: a staggering overrun on the new fighter plane.
to continue past an agreed or expected limit, especially a finishing time or a cost: Analysts say the cost of the improvements are bound to overrun. overrun by 10 minutes/2 weeks/$1 million, etc. The 45 minutes allocated for the briefing overran by almost 30 minutes.
to continue past an agreed or expected limit, especially a finishing time or a cost: Analysts say the cost of the improvements are bound to overrun. overrun by 10 minutes/2 weeks/$1 million, etc. The 45 minutes allocated for the briefing overran by almost 30 minutes.
Overrun means being populated in huge numbers or occupied in some way. Your beautiful beach town may be peaceful in the winter but overrun by tourists every summer.
If you say that a place is overrun with or by things that you consider undesirable, you mean that there are a large number of them there. The flower beds were overrun with grasses. The Hotel has been ordered to close because it is overrun by mice and rats.
Overrun means to seize, spread, overflow, or exceed something. It can be used as a verb or a noun. See different meanings, synonyms, and usage examples from various sources.
