has been overflowing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "has been overflowing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something has exceeded its capacity or limit over a period of time. Example: "The river has been overflowing due to the heavy rainfall this week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

England's squad has been overflowing with Villa players recently but Fabio Capello has overlooked the man wearing the claret and blue No7 shirt.

The Guardian - Sport

Since winning the award, Pakštaité's inbox has been overflowing with requests from companies large and small desperate to employ her design.

The Guardian - Tech

Despite this, "the reaction has been great, people travelled from London all the way to Manchester to see my first night of the tour, and my MySpace inbox has been overflowing after each gig".

The Guardian - Music

And if your mailbox has been overflowing for weeks with those glossy brochures spewing lies about the danger of voting for the other guy, well, he gave them your address.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

For years the in-boxes of all office workers have been overflowing with unread e-mails.

The Economist

For years, Ms. Arthur has struggled to get women in the door, even though her classes for their children have been overflowing.

The New York Times

Phoenicia, which was founded in 1853, has been wrestling with environmental regulators over permits to dredge Stony Clove Stream, one of the two creeks that bracket the hamlet and have been overflowing with increasing regularity.

The New York Times

The rubbish crisis began in mid-July when residents took it upon themselves to shut down a landfill that had been overflowing for years, leading municipalities to find ad hoc spots to dump rubbish.

Independent

It was one of those azure-sky, cloudless spring Saturdays, so warm and sunny it should have been summer, and the farmers' market should have been overflowing with verdant piles of produce.

The New York Times

Hofstra was not only the defending conference champion, it was playing a team it had beaten twice during the regular season -- reasons it should have been overflowing with confidence.

The New York Times - Sports

Because we're flexible about volunteers' time commitments and because the teachers of San Francisco are burdened with ever-increasing class sizes and diminished resources, we've been overflowing with volunteers and our programs are growing every month.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "has been overflowing" to vividly describe situations where a container, system, or entity exceeds its capacity over a period, creating a sense of abundance or excess. For example, "Her inbox has been overflowing with job offers since graduation" paints a clearer picture than "She received many job offers."

Common error

While "has been overflowing" can be used metaphorically, avoid applying it too liberally to abstract concepts where a more precise term might be more effective. For instance, instead of saying "The meeting has been overflowing with ideas", consider "The meeting generated a wealth of ideas."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been overflowing" functions as part of a verb phrase, specifically in the present perfect continuous tense. This tense indicates an action that started in the past and is continuing or has recently finished. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Science

27%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "has been overflowing" is a grammatically sound construction used to describe a state of exceeding capacity over time. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It's most frequently found in news and media contexts but also appears in science and more formal settings. While versatile, it should be used thoughtfully, avoiding overuse in overly abstract contexts. Consider related phrases like "has been inundated" or "has been swamped" for nuanced expression. The phrase carries a neutral register and effectively conveys a sense of abundance or excess. The New York Times, The Guardian and Huffington Post are some authoritative sources that employ the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been inundated

Focuses on being overwhelmed by a large amount of something, similar to overflowing.

has been swamped

Implies being overwhelmed with a large quantity, often used in the context of work or tasks.

has been flooded

Similar to inundated, but often used in a more literal sense related to water or liquids.

has been bursting at the seams

Emphasizes a state of being full to capacity and unable to contain more.

has been packed

Focuses on being densely filled, leaving little or no space.

has been teeming

Implies being full of life or activity, often used for populations or organisms.

has been saturated

Focuses on being completely filled or soaked with something.

has reached its limit

Implies that something has reached a point where it cannot hold any more.

has been congested

Often used in the context of traffic or networks, implying a blockage due to excessive volume.

has been stacked high

Focuses on the visual of items piled up excessively.

FAQs

How can I use "has been overflowing" in a sentence?

Use "has been overflowing" to describe situations where something exceeds its capacity over a period. For example, "The river "has been overflowing" due to the recent heavy rains."

What are some alternatives to "has been overflowing"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "has been inundated", "has been flooded", or "has been swamped".

Is it appropriate to use "has been overflowing" metaphorically?

Yes, "has been overflowing" can be used metaphorically to describe situations where something is abundant or excessive, even if not in a physical container. However, ensure the metaphor is clear and effective.

What's the difference between "has been overflowing" and "is overflowing"?

"Has been overflowing" implies a continuous state of exceeding capacity over a period, while "is overflowing" describes a current state of exceeding capacity. For example, "The tank has been overflowing for hours" versus "The tank is overflowing right now."