Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

overreach

/ˌoʊvə(ɹ)ˈɹit͡ʃ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.64 in modern English

Syllables
over-reach
IPA
/ˌoʊvə(ɹ)ˈɹit͡ʃ/
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To reach above or beyond, especially to an excessive degree.

Transitive verb

verb

Of a horse: to strike the heel of a forefoot with the toe of a hindfoot.

verb

To deceive, to swindle.

Archaic

verb

To sail on one tack farther than is necessary.

Intransitive verb

verb

To get the better of, especially by artifice or cunning; to outwit.

Archaic; Transitive verb

noun

An act of extending or reaching over, especially if too far or too much; overextension.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English overrechen (“to rise above; to extend beyond or over; to encroach; to catch, overtake; to reach; to obtain wrongfully (?); to take up (a book) to revise it”) [and other forms], equivalent to over- + reach; the noun is derived from the verb or from the phrase to reach over.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌoʊvə(ɹ)ˈɹit͡ʃ/
  • British English: /ˌəʊvəˈɹiːt͡ʃ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

overreach boot

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce overreach?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌoʊvə(ɹ)ˈɹit͡ʃ/.
What does overreach mean?
To reach above or beyond, especially to an excessive degree.
Where does overreach come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce overreach

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “overreach”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌoʊvə(ɹ)ˈɹit͡ʃ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “overreach”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “overreach” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.