overtake

English

Etymology

From Middle English overtaken, equivalent to over- +‎ take.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvə(ɹ).teɪk/
• IPA^(key): /oʊvɚˈteɪk/
• Rhymes: -eɪk

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

overtake (third-person singular simple present overtakes, present participle overtaking, simple past overtook, past participle overtaken)

1. To pass a more slowly moving object or entity.

   The racehorse overtook the lead pack on the last turn.

   The car was so slow we were overtaken by a bus.

   • 2019 October, “Funding for 20tph East London service”, in Modern Railways, page 18:

     The station is planned to include platform loops enabling fast trains to overtake slower ones and is expected to be served by at least four trains per hour towards London.

2. (economics) To become greater than something else
3. To occur unexpectedly; take by surprise; surprise and overcome; carry away

   Our plans were overtaken by events.

Translations

to pass a more slowly moving object

• Arabic: سَبَقَ (sabaqa)
• Armenian: հասնել (hy) (hasnel), առաջ անցնել (aṙaǰ ancʻnel), վազանց անել (vazancʻ anel), աբգոն անել (abgon anel) (colloquial)
• Aromanian: astrec, antrec
• Azerbaijani: ötmək (az)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 超 (zh) (chāo), 賽過／赛过 (zh) (sàiguò), 赛过 (zh) (sàiguò)

• Danish: overhale
• Dutch: inhalen (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: ohittaa (fi)
• French: dépasser (fr), doubler (fr)
• German: überholen (de)
• Greek: ξεπερνάω (xepernáo)

  Ancient: φθάνω (phthánō), καταλαμβάνω (katalambánō)

• Hungarian: előz (hu)
• Irish: tar suas (le)
• Italian: superare (it)
• Japanese: 追い越す (oikosu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: 따라잡다 (ttarajapda)
• Latin: adipiscor
• Maori: taha, hipa, poki, popoki
• Mongolian: гүйцэх (mn) (güjcex), нөхөх (mn) (nöxöx), эзэмдэх (mn) (ezemdex), төрөх (mn) (töröx)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kjøre forbi

  Nynorsk: køyre forbi

• Portuguese: ultrapassar (pt)
• Romanian: întrece (ro), depăși (ro)
• Russian: обгоня́ть (ru) (obgonjátʹ), обогна́ть (ru) (obognátʹ)
• Slovak: predbehnúť, predbiehať
• Spanish: rebasar (es), sobrepasar (es), adelantar (es)
• Swedish: köra om (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: sollamak (tr), geçmek (tr)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• ǃXóõ: ǃkʻqáa

to catch up with, but not pass

• Finnish: saavuttaa (fi), saada kiinni
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: aufholen (de)
• Slovak: dobehnúť, dobiehať

economics: to become greater than something else

• Finnish: kasvaa suuremmaksi kuin, ohittaa (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: überholen (de)

to occur unexpectedly take by surprise; surprise and overcome

• Finnish: yllättää (fi) (take by surprise); muuttaa (fi) (surprise and overcome)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• exceed
• surpass

See also

• Not to be confused with take over.

Anagrams

• take over, takeover

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

overtake (present tense overtek, past tense overtok, past participle overteke, passive infinitive overtakast, present participle overtakande, imperative overtak)

1. Alternative form of overtaka