overgrown

adjective

over·​grown ˌō-vər-ˈgrōn How to pronounce overgrown (audio)
: grown abnormally or excessively large
dismissed him as an overgrown adolescent

Examples of overgrown in a Sentence

The garden is overgrown with weeds. He acts like an overgrown child.
Recent Examples on the Web Those roots had been long overgrown, buried under mediocrity. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2024 The before shot shows the canine perched on the back of an armchair, with her curly coat of golden hair looking adorably wild and overgrown. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 But only if visitors are able to trek down the ravines, correctly navigate the overgrown forest and locate the ruins. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 The former Bachelor star, 31, delighted fans by sharing a recent TikTok video of Kirkconnell, 27, shaving off his overgrown beard. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024 Calhoun still seems to be discovering her characters and fleshing out the through line of a plot that can sometimes seem as overgrown as one of the black cypress trees. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Today, the nonprofit spends most of its effort training land managers around the state on prevention measures like breaking up large swaths of dry, overgrown invasive grass via grazing, creating fire breaks and restoring native plants. Jean Lee, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2024 The building now sits empty, the garden overgrown and a big rusting lock hanging on its ornamental gate. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 Anastasia was making coffee in the kitchen of a small house surrounded by overgrown flower gardens. Natalie Keyssar, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overgrown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overgrown was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near overgrown

Cite this Entry

“Overgrown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overgrown. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

overgrown

adjective
: grown unusually or too big
overgrown boys
overgrown cities

More from Merriam-Webster on overgrown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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