Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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overspill, overspills, overspilling, overspilt

Synonyms: spill over, overflow, brim over, well over, slop

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Antonyms: contain, hold, confine, restrain, recede

The Verb Overspill – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb overspill is an irregular verb that means to spill over the sides of a container. Figuratively, it means for a group of people or an activity to spread beyond its intended area.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: overspill
■ Past Simple: overspilled or overspilt
■ Past Participle: overspilled or overspilt
■ Present Participle/Gerund: overspilling


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Overspill' is used for both literal liquids and figurative groups or emotions.


1. Literal Spilling
This refers to liquids filling a container and flowing over the edge.


■ Liquids: 'The bathwater overspilled onto the floor.'
■ Natural Events: 'After days of heavy rain, the river overspilled its banks.'


2. Figurative Spreading
This refers to things that cannot be contained within a certain space.


■ Crowds: 'The crowd from the main square began to overspill into the side streets.'
■ Population: 'The city's population started to overspill into newly developed suburbs.'
■ Emotions: 'The tension in the room finally overspilled into an open argument.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: NOUN FORM


■ Noun Form: The noun 'overspill' is very common, especially in urban planning and demographics.
■ Example: 'The new housing development was built to accommodate the city's overspill.'
■ Example: 'There was a significant overspill of fans outside the stadium.'