overgo

/əʊvəˈɡəʊ/

//əʊvəˈɡəʊ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"overgo" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overgo” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cross, go over (a barrier etc.); to surmount.

Corpus desk

Index EN-overgo · overgo · English

overgo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for overgo
PropertyValue
Headwordovergo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əʊvəˈɡəʊ/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “overgo” in English

overgosits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

overgo is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əʊvəˈɡəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 9 senses are on record.

overgo has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English overgon, from Old English ofergān (“to pass over, beyond, across, traverse, cross, transgress, overstep, overrun, overcome, overspread, conquer, come upon, overtake, seize, attack, pass off, pass away, end, overreach”), equivalent to ove… The correct English form is overgo, spelled O-V-E-R-G-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cross, go over (a barrier etc.); to surmount.
  2. 2
    To pass (a figurative barrier); to transgress.
  3. 3
    To pass by, pass away; often, to go unnoticed.
  4. 4
    To spread across (something); to overrun.
  5. 5
    To go over, move over the top of, travel across the surface of; to traverse, travel through.
  6. 6
    To go beyond; to exceed, surpass.
  7. 7
    To get the better of; to overcome, overpower.
  8. 8
    To overtake, go faster than.
  9. 9
    To cover.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how overgo appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. How many an one in its vanities hath gloried and taken pride, / Till froward and arrogant thus he grew and did all bounds o'ergo!
  2. He did not rave, he did not stare aghast, / For all those visions were o'ergone, and past […]

Etymology

From Middle English overgon, from Old English ofergān (“to pass over, beyond, across, traverse, cross, transgress, overstep, overrun, overcome, overspread, conquer, come upon, overtake, seize, attack, pass off, pass away, end, overreach”), equivalent to over- + go. Cognate with Dutch overgaan, German übergehen, Swedish övergå.

Synonyms

overcomesuperateoutsteptransgresstranscendgo bypass bybespreadinfestoverspreadcrosspass overexceloutstripexceedbetterdefeatoverwhelmforhalelapoverhaul

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "overgo"?
"overgo" is spelled O-V-E-R-G-O. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊvəˈɡəʊ/.
What does "overgo" mean?
As a verb, "overgo" means: To cross, go over (a barrier etc.); to surmount.
How do you pronounce "overgo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "overgo" is /əʊvəˈɡəʊ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "overgo"?
From Middle English overgon, from Old English ofergān (“to pass over, beyond, across, traverse, cross, transgress, overstep, overrun, overcome, overspread, conquer, come upon, overtake, seize, attack, pass off, pass away, end, overreach”), equival... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
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Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list