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.
“These communities are working hard to rebuild, and overgrown lots pose a real threat to that progress and to the neighbors living right next door,” Barger said in her statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
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
In “The Oyster Diaries,” Delery runs into Claude, a “portly fifty-year-old” living in seclusion in an overgrown plantation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
A market dip is a prime opportunity to shave back overgrown allocations at a lower tax cost.
From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026
We stood in a field overgrown with thistles and pokeweed, wild daisies and Queen Anne’s lace, swarming with bees and butterflies.
From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn
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.
