Overbrimming

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əʊvəˈbɹɪmɪŋ/

Definitions

1. To reach a state of overflowing, resulting in contents spilling out in excess To exhibit such fullness that it causes a boundary to be exceeded To be filled so abundantly that the contents begin to overflow or spill over
2. To possess a level of fullness that exceeds containment, resulting in overflow
3. To be so full that the contents spill over the edges or limits

Etymology: "Overbrimming" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-", meaning beyond or in excess, joined to "brimming," the present participle of "brim." "Brim" traces back to the Middle English "brimme," meaning the edge or rim of a vessel, and that sense still lives in the word for a hat's wide edge. "Brimming" thus describes liquid rising right up to the rim, and adding "over-" pushes the image one step further, to the point where the liquid runs past the edge altogether. The combination itself is an ordinary English formation. English has long attached "over-" to participles and adjectives to intensify them, as in "overflowing," "overwhelming," and "overcrowded," so "overbrimming" follows a well-worn pattern rather than marking a distinct coinage with a single first user.

Synonyms: overflowing, spilling, brimming, flooding, overfilling

Antonyms: emptying, draining, diminishing, depleting, reducing