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overturn

verb · noun

Simple meaning

To turn over, capsize or upset.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ohvertern

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈoʊvɚtɚn

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. ambitransitive

    To turn over, capsize or upset.

  2. lawtransitive

    To reverse (a decision); to overrule or rescind.

  3. transitive

    To overthrow or destroy.

  4. transitive

    To diminish the significance of a previous defeat by winning; to make a comeback from.

  5. intransitiveof a body of water

    To undergo a limnic eruption, where dissolved gas suddenly erupts from the depths.

noun

  1. A turning over or upside-down; inversion.

  2. The overturning or overthrow of some institution or state of affairs; ruin.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient
Frequency
Uncommon
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: (ambitransitive) To turn over, capsize or upset.

Used this way, overturn is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use overturn

  • “The big vase overturned.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

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overturn roespring overturn

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.