Word.ws English Dictionary

overset

Syllables: over·set/ˌəʊvəˈsɛt/US/ˌoʊvəɹˈsɛt/

overset verb: to knock over or overturn (someone or something); to capsize, to upset.

Verb

overset (third-person singular simple present oversets, present participle oversetting, simple past and past participle overset)

  1. (transitive) To knock over or overturn (someone or something); to capsize, to upset.
    • For ſtill thy eyes, vvhich I may call the ſea, / Do ebbe and flovve vvith teares, the Barke thy body is: / Sayling in this ſalt floud, the vvindes thy ſighes, / Who raging vvith thy teares and they vvith them, / VVithout a ſudden calme vvill ouerſet / Thy tempeſt toſſed body.c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Iuliet. […] (Second Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, […], published 1599, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], signature...
    • A great ſhip overſet, or vvithout faile / Hulling, might (vvhen this vvas a vvhelp) be like this vvhale.a. 1631 (date written), J[ohn] Donne, “The Progresse of the Soule. The First Song.”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published...
  2. (figuratively, transitive) To physically or mentally disturb (someone); to upset; specifically, to make (someone) ill, especially nauseous; to nauseate, to sicken.
    • O Lord, O Lord, ſhe's mad, poor Young VVoman, Love has turn'd her ſenſes, her Brain is quite overſet.1695, [William] Congreve, Love for Love: A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 65
    • He us’d all the Caution that he vvas able in letting me knovv a thing, vvhich it vvould have been a double Cruelty to have conceal’d; and yet it vvas too much for me; for as Grief had overſet me before, ſo did Joy overſet novv, and I fell into a much more dangerous Svvooning than I did at firſt...1722 (indicated as 1721), [Daniel Defoe], The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. […], London: […] W[illiam Rufus] Chetwood, […]; and T. Edling, […], published 1722, →OCLC, page...
    Synonyms:
    discompose
  3. (figuratively, transitive) To throw (something, such as an organization, a plan, etc.) into confusion or out of order; to subvert, to unsettle, to upset.
    • [H]ad not the old Man run and fetch'd me a Cordial, I believe the ſudden Surprize of Joy had overſet Nature, and I had dy'd upon the Spot.1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 338
    • [B]y ſtriving to ſupport that chimerical Prerogative [papal infallibility], he [Robert Bellarmine] evidently overſetteth it.1749, Archibald Bower, “Liberius, Thirty-fifth Bishop of Rome”, in The History of the Popes, from the Foundation of the See of Rome, to the Present Time, volume I, Dublin: […] George Faulkner, […]...
  4. (figuratively, rare, transitive) To translate (a text).
    • Overset into English, after the spirits and measures of the authentical; by Dr. Heinrich Krauss, Ph.D., and so wider.1878 November 30, “‘Wanted, a Private Tutor’”, in [James Macaulay], editor, The Leisure Hour, volume XXVII, number 1405, London: [Religious Tract Society], →OCLC, page 756, column 2
    • [T]he preparation for a world-literature must surely lie in the study of those methods of thought, those canons of literary art, which lie at the foundation of all literatures. The thought and its expression,—these are the two factors which must solve the problem; and it matters not how much we...1891 January 15 (date delivered), Thomas Wentworth Higginson, “A World-literature”, in The New World and the New Book: An Address Delivered before the Nineteenth Century Club of New York City, Jan....
  5. (figuratively, transitive) To set (copy or type) in excess of a given space.
    • Other [newspaper] articles, again, are rejected because there is no time to consider them, or because they are badly written, and the printers have no time to lose in bungling over hieroglyphics. The overseer now sees that he will have too much matter; and although all the week he has been...1855 October, Frederic Carrington, “Country Newspapers and Their Editors”, in William Harrison Ainsworth, editor, The New Monthly Magazine, volume CV, number CCCCXVIII, London: Chapman and Hall, […]...
  6. (Scotland, figuratively, transitive) To recover from (an illness).
  7. (obsolete, transitive) To cover (the surface of something) with objects.
    • Item, the bishop's great mitre, all oversett with orient pearle and stones, and silver ourgilt, the haill mitre extending to 5 pound 15 ounce weight.1559 July 17 (Gregorian calendar), “The Preface. [Appendix No. II. Inventarium 1559. The Inventor of the Silver Worke of S. Machar in Old Aberdeen, Deliverd to the Custody of the Canons by Bishop...
  8. (obsolete, transitive) To oppress or overwhelm (someone, their thoughts, etc.); to beset; also, to overpower or overthrow (someone, an army, a people, etc.) by force; to defeat, to overwhelm.
    • […] Brennus [i.e., Brennius] entending to haue more lande or all, aroſe againſt his brother Belyne [Belinus], and made vpon him ſharpe and mortall warre. In the which warre Brennus was ouerſet and compelled to flie the lande, and to ſayle to Armorica, nowe named little Briteyn, […]1569, Richard Grafton, “The Sixt Age, and Sixt Part of this Chronicle”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume I, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for...
    • At laſt being over ſet vvith multitudes (vvhich hath beene the fortune of the braveſt ſpirits upon earth) they choſe to bovv a little, rather than breake.1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], “A Character of Monticolia”, in ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ [DENDROLOGIA]. Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: […] T[homas] B[adger] for H. Mosley [i.e., Humphrey...
  9. (obsolete, transitive) To press (something) down heavily; to compress; also, to choke (a plant).
    • [T]he more they [holy plants] vvere oppreſsd and overſet vvith the vveight of Perſecution, the faſter, ſtronger, and ſtreighter they grevv up.1640, I. H. [i.e., James Howell], “Of Rhenusium and Bombycina”, in ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΊΑ [DENDROLOGIA]. Dodona’s Grove, or, The Vocall Forrest, London: […] T[homas] B[adger] for H. Mosley [i.e., Humphrey...
  10. (obsolete, transitive) To put too heavy a load on (something); to overload.
    • [C]oming (for more frugality) in the common Boat, vvhich vvas overſet vvith Merchandize, and other Paſſengers, in a thick fog, the Veſſel turn'd over, and ſo many periſh'd, the Prince Palſgrave ſav'd himſelf by ſvvimming, but the young Prince clinging to the Maſt, and being entangled among the...1625 March 6 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “X. To My Noble Lord, the Lord Clifford, from London.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume I...
  11. (obsolete, rare, transitive) To come to rest over (something); to settle.
    • It [tobacco] is a good Companion to one that converſeth vvith dead Men [i.e., reads books], for if one hath been poring long upon a Book, or is toil'd vvith the Pen, and ſtupified vvith Study, it quickneth him, and diſpels thoſe Clouds that uſually o'erſet the Brain.1646 January 10 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “VII. To Henry Hopkins, Esq”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume III, London: […] Humphrey...
  12. (figuratively, obsolete, rare, transitive) To impose too heavy a tax on (someone); to overtax.
    • For thieves love among themselves: and so do the covetous of the world, as the usurers and publicans, which brought in great the emperor's tribute, and to make their most advantage, did overset the people.1532 (reprinted 1573), William Tyndale, “An Exposition uppon the V. VI. VII. Chapters of Mathew, […]. The Fifth Chapter of Matthew.”, in Henry Walter, editor, Expositions and Notes on Sundry Portions...
Show 4 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (obsolete, transitive, uncertain) To recover (money) given in an exchange.
    • [H]e that dealeth in barter muſt be very circumſpect, and the Money giuen in barter cannot be overſet.1622, Gerard [de] Malynes, “Of Commutation or Bartring of Commodities”, in Consuetudo, vel, Lex Mercatoria: Or, The Ancient Law-merchant. […], 3rd edition, London: […] T[homas] Basset, […]; R....
  2. (obsolete, transitive, uncertain) To coil or stow away (a cable, a rope, etc.).
  3. (archaic, intransitive) To turn, or to be turned, over; to capsize; to, or to be, upset.
    • [T]his Raft vvas ſo unvveildy, and ſo overloaden, that after I vvas enter'd the little Cove, vvhere I had landed the reſt of my Goods, not being able to guide it ſo handily as I did the other, it overſet, and threvv me and all my Cargoe into the VVater; […]1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 65
    • VVhen all endeavours proved fruitleſs, and no hope of preſerving the ſhip remained, the barge vvas hoiſted out for the preſervation of the admiral, vvho entered it accordingly; but all diſtinction of perſons being novv aboliſhed, the ſeamen ruſhed into it in ſuch crovvds, that in a fevv moments it...1760, T[obias] Smollett, “George II”, in Continuation of the Complete History of England, volume II, London: […] Richard Baldwin, […], →OCLC, page 245
  4. (intransitive, obsolete) Of a person or thing (such as an organization or plan): to become unbalanced or thrown into confusion; to be put into disarray.
    • But, while kingdoms overset, / Or lapse from hand to hand, / Thy leaf shall never fail, nor yet / Thine acorn in the land.1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Talking Oak”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, stanza LXV, page 80

Adjective

overset (not comparable)

  1. Capsized, overturned, upset.
    • They groped their way, pushing and panting, to the road again, where, beholding the overset buggy with its wheels ludicrously in the air, they suddenly seized and shook each other, and in an outburst of hilarious ecstasy, fairly laughed until the tears came into their eyes.1893, Bret Harte, chapter II, in Susy: A Story of the Plains, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 26
    • A pitiless hail was hissing round me, and I was sitting on soft turf in front of the overset machine.1895 May 29, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Time Travelling”, in The Time Machine: An Invention, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 32
  2. Of copy or type: set in excess of a given space.

Noun

overset (countable and uncountable, plural oversets)

  1. (uncountable) Copy or type set in excess of a given space; (countable) an instance of this.
  2. (obsolete) An act of knocking over or overturning; a capsize or capsizing, an overturning, an upset.
    • […] I vvas upon the Rock vvhen their Boat vvas daſh'd againſt it, and vvas over-ſet vvith the ſame Sea, under the flat bottom'd Boat, vvhere you found me. That vvas a happy Overſet for thee; vvell, is there no Gratitude due to Providence for thy Eſcape? due to Providence, ſaid he, vvhy, I thought...1727, Peter Longueville, “Book III. An Account of Quarll’s Wonderful Shifts, and Surprizing Manner of Living; of the Miraculous Acts of Providence, and of the Strange Events which Happened in the...
  3. (obsolete, rare) An excess, a surplus.
    • And vvith this overſet of vvealth and pomp, that came on men in the decline of their parts and age, they, vvho vvere novv grovving into old age, became lazy and negligent in all the true concerns of the Church: […]a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, “Book II. Of the First Twelve Years of the Reign of King Charles II. from the Year 1660 to the Year 1673.”, in [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], editor, Bishop Burnet’s...

Examples of overset in a sentence

  • [T]he poſtilion, in turning too ſuddenly from the turnpike to the croſs-road, overſet the carriage.1782, [Frances Burney], “A Cottage”, in Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress. […], volume IV, London: […] T[homas] Payne and Son […], and...
  • A reef between them also now began / To show its boiling surf and bounding spray, / But finding no place for their landing better, / They ran the boat for shore, and overset her.1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto II, stanza CIV, page 171:
  • "Except when he overset the glass of wine at dinner," Miss Sharp said, with a haughty air and a toss of the head, "I never gave the existence of Captain Dobbin one single moment's consideration."1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Vauxhall”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848...
  • A thunderstorm is coming on, the maids say, and the hot and stifling air has overset the pretty dear; no wonder; they have felt their own knees all of a tremble all day long.1870 April–September, Charles Dickens, “Shadow on the Sun-dial”, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published...

Synonyms of overset

Forms of overset

Verb
third-person singular presentoversets
present participleoversetting
past participleoverset
pastoverset
alternative formover-set
second-person singular present (archaic)oversettest
second-person singular past (archaic)oversettedst
third-person singular present (archaic)oversetteth
Noun
pluraloversets

Origin of overset

PIE word *upér The verb is derived from Middle English oversetten (“to place or set over, cover; to assail; to defeat, overcome, overpower, overthrow; to defer; to discredit, refute; to disregard, overlook, set aside; to hinder; to oppress; to repulse”), from Old English ofersettan (“to put in a position of authority; to overcome or be overcome; to set over”), from Proto-West Germanic *ubarsattjan (“to place above, set over; to establish, install”), from *ubarsittjan (“to abstain from, neglect; to occupy, possess; to sit over or upon”), from *ubar- (prefix meaning ‘above, over’) + *sittjan (“to sit”) (from Proto-Germanic *sitjaną (“to sit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, over- (prefix meaning ‘above, higher; excessive, excessively’) + set (verb). Doublet of oversit. Verb sense 1.2.3 (“to translate (a text)”) is probably a calque of German übersetzen. The adjective is derived from overset, the past participle form of the verb. The noun is also derived from the verb. cognates * Dutch overzetten (“to ferry, transport, translate”) * Old High German ubarsezzen (Middle High German übersetzen, modern German übersetzen (“to cross over...

Words formed from overset

Words that rhyme with overset

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about overset

What does overset mean?
Overset means to knock over or overturn (someone or something); to capsize, to upset.
How do you use overset in a sentence?
[T]he poſtilion, in turning too ſuddenly from the turnpike to the croſs-road, overſet the carriage.
What part of speech is overset?
Overset can be a verb, an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce overset?
Overset is pronounced /ˌəʊvəˈsɛt/ (UK).
What is the past tense of overset?
The past tense of overset is overset.

Words near overset in the dictionary

  1. overserviced
  2. overservices
  3. overservicing
  4. overservile
  5. overserving
  6. overset
  7. oversets
  8. oversetteth
  9. oversetting
  10. oversevere
  11. overseverely

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: overset (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “overset.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/overset. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.