Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To cause to lose balance; to make unsteady or cause to fall: The primary meaning refers to physically tipping something or someone over, or metaphorically disrupting equilibrium.
   • To outweigh; to exceed in weight, importance, or value: To be greater than something else in a comparative sense.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To lose one's balance; to fall over: To become unsteady and tip over.

Usage and Examples

• Transitive Verb (cause to lose balance):

  • The sudden gust of wind overbalanced the cyclist.
  • Adding weight to one side will overbalance the boat.

• Transitive Verb (outweigh):

  • The benefits overbalance the risks in this case.
  • Her desire for adventure overbalanced her fear.

• Intransitive Verb (lose balance):

  • He overbalanced and fell into the pool.
  • The stack of books overbalanced and tumbled to the floor.

Advanced Usage

• Financial/Metaphorical Context: Often used to describe a budget, account, or situation where expenditures or one factor exceed income or another factor.
  • The company's debts overbalance its assets.
  • It is a mistake to let emotions overbalance logic in decision-making.

Variants and Related Words

• Overbalanced (adjective): Describing a state of being unbalanced or outweighed.
  • The overbalanced budget led to a deficit.
• Outbalance (verb): A less common synonym meaning to outweigh.
• Outweigh (verb): A more common synonym for the comparative meaning.

Synonyms

• Outweigh: To be greater or more significant than.
• Surpass: To exceed, to go beyond.
• Top-heavy: Unstable due to excessive weight at the top (related concept).
• Unbalance: To put out of balance.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Overbalance" itself is not typically used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meanings are contained within the single word.)

Related Idioms

• Tip the scales: To be the deciding factor; to cause a change in balance (similar to the 'outweigh' meaning).
  • The new evidence tipped the scales in favor of the defendant. (Compare: The new evidence overbalanced the case in the defendant's favor.)

Verb

1. cause to be off balance
   • It is not desirable to overbalance the budget
2. weigh more heavily
   • these considerations outweigh our wishes