overcast

O1V4E1R1C3A1S1T1
UK/ˈəʊvəˌkɑːst/US/ˈoʊvɚ.kæst/UK/ˌəʊvəˈkɑːst/US/ˌoʊvɚˈkæst/

noun

A cloud covering all of the sky from horizon to horizon.

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounovercast (plural overcasts)

plural overcasts

  1. A cloud covering all of the sky from horizon to horizon.
  2. obsoleteAn outcast.
  3. businessA place where one roadway crosses another, specifically where an airway was built across the top of another airway for ventilation purposes.
adjectiveovercast (comparative more overcast, superlative most overcast)

comparative more overcast · superlative most overcast

  1. Covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened; (meteorology) more than 90% covered by clouds.

    The Dawn is over-caſt, the Morning low’rs, And heavily in Clouds brings on the Day, […]

    1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1

    Synonyms: sullen

  2. figurativelyIn a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy.
verbovercast (third-person singular simple present overcasts, present participle overcasting, simple past and past participle overcast or (common, but sometimes proscribed) overcasted)

present singular third person overcasts · participle present overcasting · common error unknown tag participle past proscribed sometimes overcasted · common error unknown tag past proscribed sometimes overcasted

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo overthrow.
  2. transitiveTo cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken.
  3. transitiveTo make gloomy; to depress.
  4. intransitiveobsoleteTo be or become cloudy.
  5. obsoletetransitiveTo transform.
  6. transitiveartsTo fasten (sheets) by overcast stitching or by folding one edge over another.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened; (meteorology) more than 90% covered by clouds.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivefilled or abounding with clouds

Similar

nounthe state of the sky when it is covered by clouds

noungloomy semidarkness caused by cloud cover

Similar

nouna long whipstitch or overhand stitch overlying an edge to prevent raveling

verbmake overcast or cloudy

Similar
Opposite
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishovercasten
  2. Englishovercast

From Middle English overcasten, equivalent to over- + cast. Compare Swedish överkast.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek συννεφής, ἐπινέφελος
  • συννεφής (sunnephḗs)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • ἐπινέφελος (epinéphelos)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Bulgarian заоблачен, мрачен
  • заоблачен (zaoblačen)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • мрачен (mračen)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • меланхоличен (melanholičen)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • притъмнявам (pritămnjavam)to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • заоблачавам се (zaoblačavam se)to be or become cloudy
Catalan cobert, cobert
  • cobertcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • cobertmeteorological term
Chinese Mandarin 陰沉 /阴沉, 灰濛蒙 /灰蒙蒙
  • 陰沉 /阴沉 (yīnchén)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • 灰濛蒙 /灰蒙蒙 (huīmēngmēng)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • 低沉 (dīchén)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • 陰沉 /阴沉 (yīnchén)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • 低沉 (dīchén)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
Dutch betrokken, bewolkt
  • betrokkencovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • bewolktcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • neerslachtigin a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • bewolktmeteorological term
  • bewolkento cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • verduisterento cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • bewolkt zijnto be or become cloudy
Esperanto nuboplena
  • nuboplenameteorological term
Finnish pilvinen, synkkä
  • pilvinencovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • synkkäcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • synkkäin a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • pilvinenmeteorological term
  • peittää pilveento cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • olla pilvistäto be or become cloudy
  • pilvistyäto be or become cloudy
French nuageux, couvert
  • nuageuxcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • couvertcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • couvertmeteorological term
German bedeckt, bewölkt
  • bedecktcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • bewölktcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • bewölktmeteorological term
Hungarian felhős, borús
  • felhőscovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • borúsin a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • borultmeteorological term
  • beborulto be or become cloudy
Icelandic þungbúinn
  • þungbúinncovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Indonesian mendung
  • mendungcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Irish duibheagánach, modartha
  • duibheagánachcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • modarthacovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • smúitiúilmeteorological term
  • scamallachmeteorological term
  • modarthameteorological term
Italian coperto, nuvoloso
  • copertocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • nuvolosocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • copertometeorological term
Japanese どんよりした
  • どんよりした (donyori shita)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Latin nūbilus
  • nūbiluscovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Malay mendung
  • mendungcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Māori whakaipuipu, pōkino
  • whakaipuipucovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • pōkinocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • taupurucovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • kōwhangacovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • tāpurucovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • kēkēaocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Norwegian Bokmål overskyet, overskya
  • overskyetcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • overskyacovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Polish pochmurny, zachmurzony
  • pochmurnycovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • zachmurzonymeteorological term
Portuguese nublado, encoberto
  • nubladocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • encobertometeorological term
  • nublarto cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
Russian о́блачный, па́смурный
  • о́блачный (óblačnyj)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • па́смурный (pásmurnyj)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • угрю́мый (ugrjúmyj)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • мра́чный (mráčnyj)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • хму́рый (xmúryj)in a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
Spanish nublado, nubloso
  • nubladocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • nublosocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • anubarradocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • anubadocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • nublocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • nubosocovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • cubiertometeorological term
  • nublarto cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • encapotarto cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
Swedish mulen, mulet
  • mulencovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • muletcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • mulenin a state of depression; gloomy; melancholy
  • mulenmeteorological term
Tamil மூடம், மூட்டம்
  • மூடம் (mūṭam)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • மூட்டம் (mūṭṭam)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • மேகமூட்டம் (mēkamūṭṭam)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • மோடம் (mōṭam)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • மேகமூட்டம் (mēkamūṭṭam)meteorological term
  • மூடு (mūṭu)to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • கரு (karu)to cover with cloud; to overshadow; to darken
  • வானம் கருத்தல் (vāṉam karuttal)to be or become cloudy
  • மேகமூட்டம் ஆதல் (mēkamūṭṭam ātal)to be or become cloudy
Turkish bulutlu
  • bulutlucovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Ukrainian хма́рний, похмурий
  • хма́рний (xmárnyj)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • похмурий (poxmuryj)covered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Vietnamese âm u, u ám
  • âm ucovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • u ámcovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
  • phủ mâycovered with clouds; overshadowed; darkened
Welsh cymylog
  • cymylogmeteorological term

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with overcast

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

overcast. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcast

MLA

“overcast.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcast. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overcast,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcast.

Source: overcast on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.