overturn
gb/ˈoʊvɚtˌɚn/ us/ˈoʊvɚtˌɚn/
B1
English
~ 8000
hatályon kívül helyez, megsemmisít, felborít, feldönt, felborul, megdönt, felborulás, borulásos baleset
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to overturn [a decision / ruling / law / conviction]
The Supreme Court overturned the lower court's ruling.
A Legfelsőbb Bíróság hatályon kívül helyezte az alsóbb fokú bíróság döntését.
The company is appealing in hopes that the decision will be overturned.
A vállalat fellebbez, abban a reményben, hogy a döntést hatályon kívül helyezik.
The ban on indoor dining was overturned after a successful legal challenge.
Election officials refused to overturn the results despite political pressure.
Learner examples
The judge overturned the old decision.
A bíró hatályon kívül helyezte a régi döntést.
The court overturned his conviction after ten years.
A bíróság tíz év után hatályon kívül helyezte az ellene hozott elmarasztaló ítéletet.
They want the government to overturn the new law.
The higher court overturned the first ruling.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "overturn" with "turn over". "Overturn" in this sense is used for abstract things like decisions, rulings, and laws, not for physical objects. Say "overturn a decision" but "turn over a page" or "turn over the meat".
Meaning
officially reverse a decision
Collocations
overturn a decision
|overturn a ruling
|overturn a conviction
|overturn a verdict
|overturn a ban
|overturn an election result
Synonyms
reverse (Very close in meaning, common in legal and official contexts like court decisions.)
|
overrule (Focuses on a higher authority rejecting and replacing a lower decision.)
|
invalidate (Stresses making something no longer legally or officially acceptable.)
Antonyms
uphold (Used when a higher body decides to keep an earlier decision in force.)
|
affirm (Formal; means to confirm that a decision, ruling, or judgment is correct.)
Themes
law
|politics
|business
Definition
To say that an earlier decision, ruling, or judgment is no longer valid and must be changed.
To officially change a previous legal or official decision so that it no longer has effect.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to overturn [a car / table / boat / container]
Strong winds overturned several parked cars near the harbor.
Az erős szél több parkoló autót is felborított a kikötő közelében.
He accidentally overturned the table and spilled all the drinks.
Véletlenül felborította az asztalt, és minden ital kiömlött.
Protesters overturned a police vehicle during the clashes.
The wave hit the canoe and overturned it in seconds.
Learner examples
The wind overturned the small boat.
A szél felborította a kis csónakot.
She overturned the glass and water went everywhere.
Feldöntötte a poharat, és a víz mindenhová szétfolyt.
The truck overturned when it hit the wall.
Be careful not to overturn the chair.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "overturn" for small everyday objects where "knock over" or "tip over" sounds more natural (e.g. "overturn a cup"). While not wrong, native speakers more often say "knock over a cup" and reserve "overturn" for larger or more serious things like cars, boats, or tables.
Meaning
knock something over
Collocations
overturn a car
|overturn a truck
|overturn a boat
|overturn a table
|overturn a chair
|overturn a container
Synonyms
tip over (Very close in meaning; slightly more informal and common in everyday speech.)
|
knock over (Emphasizes an accidental or careless push that makes something fall.)
Antonyms
set upright (Means to put something back into a standing or vertical position.)
|
stabilize (Focuses on making something steady so it does not fall or overturn.)
Themes
daily life
|transport
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make something fall onto its side or top, usually by hitting or pushing it.
To tip or knock something over so that it lies on its side or upside down.
VERB
B2
3
felborul
A2
Usage pattern:
[a vehicle / boat] overturns
The bus overturned on the icy road, injuring several passengers.
A busz felborult a jeges úton, és több utas megsérült.
Their kayak overturned in the rapids, but everyone was wearing life jackets.
A kajakjuk felborult a vadvízen, de mindannyian viseltek mentőmellényt.
The lorry overturned on the bridge, blocking traffic for hours.
Several trailers overturned in the storm due to powerful crosswinds.
Learner examples
The car overturned after it hit a tree.
Az autó felborult, miután fának ütközött.
The small boat overturned in the big wave.
A kis csónak felborult a nagy hullámban.
The truck overturned on the wet road.
Our canoe overturned, but we swam to the shore.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "the car was overturned" when no outside force is mentioned. In accident reports, English often says "the car overturned" (intransitive) when the accident itself caused the rollover, and "the car was overturned by protesters" (passive, transitive) when someone caused it.
Meaning
vehicle or boat turns over
Collocations
the car overturned
|the boat overturned
|the truck overturned
|overturn in rough seas
|overturn in high winds
|overturn on the highway
Synonyms
roll over (Common in traffic reports; often used for vehicles turning onto their side or roof.)
|
capsize (Used mainly for boats and ships turning over in water.)
Antonyms
remain upright (Means that the vehicle or boat stays in its normal standing position and does not overturn.)
Themes
transport
|weather
|transportation
|travel
Definition
For a car, truck, boat, or similar thing to roll onto its side or top, usually by accident.
To turn onto one side or upside down, especially of a vehicle or boat, often in an accident.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
4
megdönt
B2
Usage pattern:
to overturn [a government / system / order / tradition]
Revolutionaries vowed to overturn the corrupt regime.
A forradalmárok megfogadták, hogy megdöntik a korrupt rezsimet.
The movement seeks to overturn the existing economic order.
A mozgalom a fennálló gazdasági rend megdöntésére törekszik.
It took decades of activism to overturn the old system of racial segregation.
They hoped the protests would overturn the deeply unfair social hierarchy.
Learner examples
The people wanted to overturn the government.
Az emberek meg akarták dönteni a kormányt.
Many young people want to overturn the old system.
Sok fiatal meg akarja dönteni a régi rendszert.
The new law may help overturn years of unfair rules.
They worked hard to overturn the unfair social order.
Common mistake:
Learners often use "overthrow" in all cases and are unsure when to use "overturn". "Overthrow" is more specific to removing a government, while "overturn" can refer more broadly to destroying or replacing a system, order, or set of traditions, not only a government.
Meaning
destroy a system or government
Collocations
overturn the government
|overturn the regime
|overturn the system
|overturn the social order
|overturn the status quo
|overturn centuries of tradition
Synonyms
overthrow (Very close in political contexts; often more clearly connected to replacing a government.)
|
topple (Suggests making a government or leader fall from power, sometimes with less focus on complete destruction of the system.)
|
dismantle (Focuses on taking a system apart step by step rather than sudden force.)
Antonyms
preserve (Means to keep a system, order, or tradition in place and protect it from change.)
|
maintain (Stresses keeping an existing structure or system operating as it is.)
Themes
politics
|society
|law
Definition
To cause a government, system, or set of rules to end or lose power, often in a dramatic way.
To bring about the end of an established system, institution, or government, often by force or radical change.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
felborulás
B1
The report analyzed factors that contribute to tractor overturns on farms.
A jelentés azokat a tényezőket elemezte, amelyek hozzájárulnak a traktorok felborulásához a gazdaságokban.
Seat belts greatly reduce the risk of death in a bus overturn.
A biztonsági övek nagyban csökkentik a halál kockázatát egy busz felborulása esetén.
The highway was closed for two hours due to a single-vehicle overturn.
Learner examples
The farm worker died in a tractor overturn.
A mezőgazdasági dolgozó egy traktor felborulásakor halt meg.
The study looks at how to stop truck overturns.
A tanulmány azt vizsgálja, hogyan lehet megakadályozni a teherautók felborulását.
Wearing a seat belt can save your life in an overturn.
Meaning
accident where vehicle turns over
Collocations
fatal overturn
|single-vehicle overturn
|tractor overturn
|overturn accident
|bus overturn
|risk of overturn
Synonyms
rollover (Common in traffic and safety reports; usually used for vehicles, slightly more frequent than "overturn" as a noun.)
Antonyms
non-rollover crash (Technical safety term contrasting accidents where the vehicle does not turn over.)
Themes
transport
|safety
|transportation
|travel
Definition
An accident when a car, truck, boat, or similar thing rolls onto its side or top.
An accident or incident in which a vehicle, vessel, or similar object turns onto its side or upside down.
Grammar
Dictionary form
overturn
IPA
GB/ˈoʊvɚtˌɚn/
US/ˈoʊvɚtˌɚn/
Syllables & stress
over - turn (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (over)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: overturn
- 3rd Person Singular: overturns
- Present Participle: overturning
- Past: overturned
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.