overfull
/'ouvə'ful/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Containing more than is usual, proper, or desired; excessively full: The primary meaning describes a state where something holds or contains more than its normal, appropriate, or intended capacity.
- Exceeding demand; glutted: In economic or market contexts, it describes a situation where supply far surpasses demand.
Usage
- The adjective "overfull" is used to describe nouns, indicating an excessive state of fullness. It is often used in both literal and figurative contexts.
- It typically precedes the noun it modifies (e.g., an overfull glass) or follows a linking verb (e.g., The glass is overfull).
Examples
- Literal/Physical Fullness:
- The overfull trash can spilled onto the floor. (The trash can contained more waste than it was designed to hold.)
- She felt uncomfortable after the overfull meal. (The meal was excessively large.)
- Figurative/Economic Fullness:
- The warehouse was overfull with unsold inventory. (The warehouse contained more stock than was needed or could be sold.)
- An overfull schedule can lead to burnout. (The schedule contains an excessive number of commitments.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be overfull of": This construction emphasizes what the excess consists of, often used figuratively.
- His speech was overfull of technical jargon. (His speech contained an excessive amount of technical terms.)
- Used in formal or descriptive writing to emphasize excess beyond a standard or healthy limit.
Variants and Related Words
- Overfill (verb): To fill something beyond capacity.
- Be careful not to overfill the gas tank.
- Overflowing (adjective/participle): Flowing over the brim or limits; very similar in meaning but can imply active spilling.
- The overflowing river flooded the fields.
- Glutted (adjective): Specifically for markets, meaning oversupplied.
- The glutted market caused prices to fall.
Synonyms
- Overflowing: Full to the point of spilling over.
- Brimming: Full to the very top.
- Crammed: Packed tightly and completely full.
- Surfeited: Supplied or filled to excess, often to the point of disgust.
- Sated: Fully satisfied, often to excess (usually for appetite or desire).
Antonyms
- Empty: Containing nothing.
- Underfull: Not completely or adequately full (less common).
- Depleted: Reduced in quantity or resources.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Bursting at the seams: An idiom meaning extremely full or crowded, similar to "overfull."
- The concert hall was bursting at the seams.
- Full to capacity: Completely full, but not necessarily excessively so; "overfull" implies going this capacity.
- The stadium was full to capacity, but the overfull parking lot caused chaos.
Adjective
- exceeding demand
- a glutted market