overtake — to go past a moving vehicle or person ahead of you
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to go past a moving vehicle or person ahead of you
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌoʊvərˈteɪk/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother's vintage car surprisingly overtook a Tesla at the traffic light.
- Netflix overtook traditional TV networks in subscriber numbers.
- Don't overtake on a curve - unless you want to meet your maker!
overtake
VERB[/ˌoʊvərˈteɪk/]
to go past a moving vehicle or person ahead of you
The red car begins to overtake the blue one on the final lap.
OVER (beyond) + TAKE (seize) — by leaping OVER (beyond) the rival's pace and choosing to TAKE the lead, the champion managed to overtake the field.
Speeding along the winding road by the quiet lake without a single mistake, the driver managed to overtake the rival car.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Overtake originates from Old English, combining the preposition 'over' (meaning above, beyond) with the verb 'take' (meaning to seize or grasp). The compound originally meant 'to go beyond and seize,' which evolved into the modern sense of 'to pass or surpass someone in a race or competition.'
Breakdown
over- (above, beyond) + take (to seize, grasp). The prefix 'over-' indicates movement beyond a position, while 'take' retains its original sense of grasping or capturing, combining to express the action of passing ahead of another.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother's vintage car surprisingly overtook a Tesla at the traffic light.”
“Netflix overtook traditional TV networks in subscriber numbers.”
“Don't overtake on a curve - unless you want to meet your maker!”
“Panic overtook the crowd when someone yelled 'Free pizza!'”
“China has overtaken the US as the world's largest economy in some measures.”
📚Related Words
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