Leftovers

/ˈleftˌoʊvərz/

nounBeginnerCommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Food that remains after a meal has been eaten.

/ˈleftˌoʊvərz/

nounneutralBeginner
General

Food remaining after a meal.

I'm so glad we have leftovers from last night's dinner.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're having a delicious dinner, and you can't finish it all! The yummy bits you save for later are called leftovers. It's like a second helping for tomorrow!

👶 For kids: Food that's left over after you eat dinner, that you can eat later!

More Examples

2

She always makes extra so there will be leftovers.

3

He heated up the leftovers for a quick lunch.

How It's Used

Culinary

"I packed the leftovers for lunch tomorrow."

Everyday Life

"There were enough leftovers for a second dinner."

2

Things or items remaining after a process or event has been completed.

/ˈleftˌoʊvərz/

nounneutralmedium
General

Something remaining after a process or event.

The company sold off the inventory leftovers at a discount.

💡 Simply: Sometimes, when you finish a project or event, there are still some things remaining, like the leftover ingredients after baking a cake. These extra things are 'leftovers' too.

👶 For kids: Things that are still there after something is done, like pieces of LEGOs after building something.

More Examples

2

After the construction, there were a few leftover materials.

3

The leftovers from the budget were reallocated to another project.

How It's Used

Figurative

"The project was scrapped, and we were left with the design leftovers."

Business

"The company cleared out its inventory leftovers after the sale."

Tip:Like leftover food, it’s what's *left over* after something else.

From "left over", referring to food remaining after a meal, emphasizing the concept of something remaining or unused.

The term "leftovers" has been used to describe food remaining after meals for centuries, evolving from the phrase "left over."

Memory tip

Think of what's *left over* on your plate.

left overleftovers'left-overs

Usage

65%Spoken
35%Written