overgrown
Americanadjective
-
grown to excess; grown too large.
She's an adult cat, but she acts just like an overgrown kitten.
-
covered with a growth of something.
Portions of this trail may be overgrown with brush.
Etymology
Origin of overgrown
First recorded in 1350–1400; over- ( def. ) + grown ( def. )
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.
For example, in the early 1990s, he and his colleagues examined standard recommendations for conserving reed beds—important habitats for birds that become overgrown with trees over time.
From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026
By the century’s end it was fragmentary and partially overgrown, its once-pulsing culture withered to a memory that only the growth of the federal highway system in the 20th century would revive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
A market dip is a prime opportunity to shave back overgrown allocations at a lower tax cost.
From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026
That facility, now largely overgrown and covered with opaque fencing, still needs electricity after the destruction of its power lines and an on-site utility building.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
“My bad,” Golly says from where he seems to have materialized beside me like some overgrown fairy.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
