were overflowing

USAGE SUMMARY

"were overflowing" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a situation where something is filled beyond capacity, often referring to liquids or emotions. Example: The riverbanks were overflowing after the heavy rain. Alternative expressions include "were brimming," "were spilling over," and "were inundated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

The toilets were overflowing.

The New Yorker

The bins were overflowing.

The Guardian

The city's septic tanks were overflowing.

The Guardian

"A year ago, they were overflowing.

The New York Times

Motel rooms were overflowing with teenagers.

The New York Times

Local reception facilities, police said, were overflowing.

The Guardian

The sidewalks were overflowing with people as traffic crawled alongside.

The New Yorker

The garbage cans were overflowing with shredded paper.

The New Yorker

The open ditches that were the area's drainage system were overflowing.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

Its trains are overflowing.

The Economist

Treasury coffers are overflowing.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with the preposition "with" to specify exactly what was causing the capacity to be exceeded.

Common error

Avoid using "overflown" as the past participle of overflow. While both words relate to 'over', "overflown" is the past participle of 'fly'. The correct past tense and past participle for overflow is always "overflowed". Therefore, "were overflowing" is the correct continuous form.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were overflowing" functions as a past continuous verb, combining the past tense of 'to be' with the present participle of 'overflow'. According to Ludwig AI, it serves to describe an ongoing state of excess or a process of surpassing a boundary that occurred in the past.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "were overflowing" is a robust and grammatically correct English phrase used to describe things that exceed their limits. Ludwig AI provides numerous examples where it describes everything from literal garbage bins to metaphorical human optimism. Its high frequency in reputable sources like The New York Times suggests it is a staple of clear narrative writing. Whether you are discussing infrastructure failures or overwhelming emotions, this phrase effectively conveys a sense of abundance and lack of containment. Writers should be careful not to confuse its participle form with 'overflown' and should feel confident using it in a wide variety of professional and creative contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were brimming with

Suggests a more positive or delicate state of being full to the top

were inundated with

Emphasizes being overwhelmed or flooded by a large volume of something

were spilling over

Focuses on the physical action of contents escaping their boundaries

were teeming with

Implies the space is full of living things or active movement

were bursting at the seams

An idiomatic way to describe extreme physical overcrowding

were saturated with

Indicates that something is filled or soaked to the point of no more capacity

were overwhelmed with

Shifts the focus to the emotional or functional strain of excess

were flooding

Describes a continuous and heavy flow that covers an area

were packed to capacity

A more formal and literal description of a lack of available space

were congested with

Usually refers to traffic, biological blockages or crowded pathways

FAQs

How do I use "were overflowing" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe physical containers or spaces, such as "The trash cans "were overflowing" with waste" or metaphorical states like "The students "were overflowing" with joy".

What is a more formal alternative to "were overflowing"?

Depending on the context, you might use "were inundated with" for professional settings or "exceeded capacity" for technical reports.

Is it "were overflowing" or "were overflowed"?

Use ""were overflowing"" when describing a continuous state or an action in progress. Use "had overflowed" if the event was already completed in the past.

Can "were overflowing" be used for emotions?

Yes, it is very common in literature and journalism to describe feelings, such as being "were brimming with" optimism or "were overflowing with" gratitude.