Leftover
ˈleftˌoʊvər
Definitions
2 meaningsFood that remains after a meal has been eaten.
ˈleftˌoʊvər
Food remaining after a meal.
I packed the leftovers from last night's dinner for my lunch.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a delicious dinner, and you can't eat it all. Those bits of food you didn't finish are called leftovers. You can eat them later!
👶 For kids: Leftovers are the food that's left on your plate after you're done eating!
More Examples
Eating leftovers is a great way to reduce food waste.
The fridge was full of Thanksgiving leftovers.
How It's Used
"We'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow."
"Don't throw away the leftovers; we can eat them later."
Remaining or left unused after a particular event or activity.
ˈleftˌoʊvər
Remaining after an event.
The leftover tickets were offered to staff members.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a party, and after everyone leaves, there are still decorations left. Those decorations are leftover. It's anything that's been left after something is over or finished.
👶 For kids: Leftover means it's still there after something else is done.
More Examples
The company used leftover materials for the prototype.
We divided the leftover money among the team.
How It's Used
"The leftover supplies were donated to charity."
"She used the leftover budget for a team-building event."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Leftover feeling
A lingering emotion or sensation after an experience.
"Despite the success of the project, a leftover feeling of uncertainty remained."
From 'left' (past tense/past participle of 'leave') and 'over', referring to something remaining after a previous action or event.
The term 'leftover' in reference to food has been in use for several centuries, appearing in English texts from the 1500s.
Memory tip
Think of the food that's 'left over' after you've eaten.
Word Origin
"remaining"