overcast
B1General, slightly formal. Common in weather forecasts and descriptive writing.
Definition
Meaning
Describing a sky completely covered with clouds; gloomy.
Covered or obscured, often implying a gloomy or depressed mood.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily meteorological but has a metaphorical extension to describe a darkened mood or atmosphere.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use it for weather and metaphorically.
Connotations
In both varieties, it's a standard, neutral descriptor for cloud cover. The metaphorical use may be slightly more literary.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties. It's a standard term in weather forecasts and everyday descriptions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
It is/was overcast.The sky is overcast.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Her face was overcast with sorrow.”
- “An overcast countenance.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, unless in travel/tourism contexts (e.g., 'Overcast weather may impact attendance at the outdoor event').
Academic
Rare, except in environmental/geography texts describing climatic conditions.
Everyday
Common in daily conversation about weather and mood.
Technical
Standard in meteorology, denoting a sky with 85-100% cloud cover.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The clouds overcast the valley by mid-morning.
- A sense of dread overcast their celebrations.
American English
- Storm clouds overcast the entire region.
- His mood was overcast by the bad news.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look! The sky is overcast. It might rain.
- It was overcast and cold yesterday.
- The weather remained overcast for the whole of our holiday.
- We postponed the picnic because the forecast was overcast.
- The pilot advised that the overcast conditions might cause some turbulence.
- Despite the overcast sky, they decided to go for a walk along the coast.
- His thoughts were as overcast as the December sky.
- The economic outlook remains decidedly overcast, according to analysts.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a cast of actors covering the stage. An OVERCAST sky is completely COVERED/CAST OVER by clouds.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLOUDY SKY IS A COVER / SAD MOOD IS A DARKENED SKY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calques like 'накрытый'. Use 'пасмурный' for weather, 'мрачный' for mood.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'overcasted' as an adjective (incorrect). The past participle as adjective is 'overcast'.
- Confusing with 'overcast' as a past tense verb ('The storm overcast the sky').
Practice
Quiz
In a meteorological report, what does 'overcast' specifically indicate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'overcast' is primarily an adjective and a (less common) verb. The noun form for the state is 'cloud cover'.
Yes, metaphorically. e.g., 'His face was overcast with worry.' This is a slightly literary use.
'Overcast' implies near-total or total cloud cover. 'Cloudy' is more general and can include partly cloudy skies.
The pronunciation is identical (/ˌoʊvərˈkæst/ in US, /ˌəʊvəˈkɑːst/ in UK). Context determines its function.