overbear
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bear over or down by weight or force.
With his superior strength he easily overbore his opponent in the fight.
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to overcome or overwhelm.
A spirited defense had overborne the enemy attack.
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to prevail over or overrule (wishes, objections, etc.).
She overbore all objections to the new plan.
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to treat in a domineering way; dominate.
to overbear one's children with threats of violence.
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Nautical. (of a sailing ship) to have the advantage of (another sailing ship) because of an ability to carry more canvas safely.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to dominate or overcome
to overbear objections
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(tr) to press or bear down with weight or physical force
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to produce or bear (fruit, progeny, etc) excessively
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overbear
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I know that it is easy to overbear a person’s mind if you continuously barrage them with questions and accuse them.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2011
But just because Karl Malden won't be brought to overbear on this doesn't mean Amex considers it unimportant.
From Time Magazine Archive
But if the tree is in proper vigor, is well fed, protected from noxious organisms, not allowed to overbear, it should have sufficient energy to make a crop every year, frosts and accidents excepted.
From The Apple-Tree The Open Country Books—No. 1 by L. H. (Liberty Hyde) Bailey
The novice, however, is likely to permit his vines to overbear with the result that the crop is cast, or the berries rattle, or the fruit turns sour before ripening.
From Manual of American Grape-Growing by U. P. Hedrick
Neither frame nor features bespoke the haughty spirit and dauntless will that enabled him at times to turn the current of events and overbear the decisions of Lords Lieutenant.
From William Pitt and the Great War by John Holland Rose
One weak point is the film’s overbearing musical score, by Kadmon, which debases events by giving them the feel of low-budget action filmmaking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The authority said the site would be "incongruous" and allow rollercoasters of "excessive scale" to have an "overbearing and oppressive" presence in the area.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Jumping between past and present, the film tells the story of Alex Serian, a cellist who moves to Los Angeles to care for his dying mother and escape an overbearing ex played by Olivia Wilde.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Oftentimes these seemingly overbearing monitoring has nothing to do with how much someone trusts us.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
And there was an overbearing silence that hung over everything, a massive hole that no one wanted to acknowledge.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
This so tickled Long Jack that he overbore Tom Platt, and the two went out together.
From Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
General Tzerclas said something, but my lady overbore him.
From My Lady Rotha A Romance by Stanley J. Weyman
However, I overbore his objections by appealing to my lameness; from which I assured the natives I should speedily recover, if Toby were permitted to obtain the supplies I needed.
From Typee by Herman Melville
"Sewell, what are you drinking?" cried Cave, with a loudness that overbore the talk around him.
From Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume I. by Charles James Lever
This sensitive feeling, preying upon one naturally susceptible, certainly tended little to his recovery, and even at times so overbore every other sentiment, that he regretted he had ever come abroad.
From A Rent In A Cloud by Charles James Lever
Watts was "obsessed" with Sansom, but it was not a case of "one person's will being overborne by another", the judge added.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2025
They were not overborne by the implications of Communist military power.
From Time Magazine Archive
Charles Cherry is the over-bearing husband who is finally overborne.
From Time Magazine Archive
The Red Hat sect, which allows its lamas to marry, was gradually overborne by the celibate Yellow Hat sect.
From Time Magazine Archive
This “lesser faith” attends to the events of time, and is not overborne by present confusions, but reaches, sustained by Love, to a last happy consummation.
From A Key to Lord Tennyson's 'In Memoriam' by Mrs. Alfred Gatty
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