What does overtook mean?
Overtake is the past tense of the verb overtake, meaning to catch up with and pass a person, vehicle, team, or rival. It is especially common in racing and competitive contexts: a runner overtakes another competitor, or a driver overtakes a slower vehicle. The word can also mean to exceed a benchmark, such as a sales target or previous record. Overtaking carries a mild competitive implication, suggesting movement from a position behind to one ahead. Its inflected forms are irregular: the past tense is overtook, the past participle is overtaken, and the third-person singular is overtakes. Although overtake can describe either physical passing or abstract superiority, its clearest everyday use involves gaining a lead in a race, journey, or contest.
verbTo catch up with and pass someone or something, especially in a race or competition. It can also mean to gain a lead over a rival or surpass a previous total.
- To catch up with and pass someone or something.
- To move ahead of a rival or exceed a level, amount, or previous achievement.
"She overtook the leading runner in the final lap."
"The cyclist overtook the car on the narrow uphill stretch."
"The company overtook its previous sales record in December."
Overtake is one of the rare English verbs whose past tense changes the internal vowel rather than merely adding an ending.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does overtook come from?
Overtake dates from the late Middle English period and was formed from the prefix over- and the verb take, originally conveying the idea of getting past or taking someone from behind. The modern past form overtook reflects the historical development of the verb's vowel pattern, while overtaken uses the -en participial ending common in verbs such as shake and mistake.
Related word forms
How overtook is actually used
Overtake is commonly transitive. In racing and road-travel contexts it normally implies passing after coming level with the person or vehicle concerned. The irregular past tense is overtook, and the past participle is overtaken.
Easily confused with overtook
Overt is an adjective or adverb meaning done or done openly, whereas overtake is a verb meaning to pass or surpass.
Overcome means to defeat or manage to handle a difficulty, whereas overtake primarily means to catch up with and pass someone or something.