leftover

leftover — adjective

1. describing something that is still there after the rest of it has been eaten, co

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing something that is still there after the rest of it has been eaten, consumed, or taken for other purposes.

Example

The chef turned the leftover vegetables into a warm soup for the staff.

attributive use: leftover + food noun

I kept the leftover paint in a sealed jar in case the wall needs touch-ups.

Common collocations
  • leftover food
  • leftover paint
  • leftover fabric
  • leftover bricks
  • leftover materials
  • leftover pizza
Synonyms
  • remaining

    the broadest and most neutral term; works in any context including time, pages, money

  • surplus

    implies a deliberate excess beyond what is needed; more formal, often used in business or inventory contexts

  • extra

    most informal and general; simply means 'more than usual'

Antonyms
  • all

    used up completely, nothing left behind

  • consumed

    fully eaten or used

Grammar Patterns

leftover + noun

Usage Note

Always placed directly before a noun — for example, 'leftover vegetables' or 'leftover fabric.' Cannot be used in comparative form (no 'more leftover'). In a sentence like 'There is some food left over,' the two-word form 'left over' functions as a predicate phrase after the noun, not as an attributive adjective before it.

Common Mistakes

The food is leftover from the party.
This food is left over from the party.
After a verb like 'to be,' use the two-word form 'left over' instead of the single adjective 'leftover.' When 'leftover' comes before a noun, it is written as one word: 'leftover food.'

leftover — noun

Word family

  • leave
    verbA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For the sense of 'not consumed or used up,' leftover most naturally describes what remains after a specific portion of food or materials has been taken. Remaining is the broadest and most neutral term, applicable in any context — time, money, pages, or food ('the remaining guests,' 'the remaining funds'). Surplus implies a deliberate excess beyond what is needed and has a slightly formal or bureaucratic tone, often appearing in inventory, budgeting, or military contexts ('surplus stock,' 'surplus equipment'). Extra is the most informal and general, simply indicating 'more than is usual or necessary' ('extra chairs,' 'extra cash'). Unused focuses on the fact that something was never put to use, rather than that something remains after partial use ('unused tickets,' 'unused potential'). Example: 'I made a soup from leftover vegetables' (what remains after cooking) vs. 'We have extra vegetables in the fridge' (more than we need, not necessarily previously part of a meal).

remaining ↗surplus ↗extra ↗unused ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • eat the leftovers
  • have something left over
  • use up the leftovers

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the verb phrase 'leave over,' meaning to allow something to remain. 'Leave' comes from Old English 'læfan' (to let remain, to bequeath), and 'over' from Old English 'ofer' (above, beyond, remaining). The compound 'leftover' began appearing as a noun in the late 19th century (around the 1890s), referring to food not eaten at a meal. The attributive adjective use (as in 'leftover food') followed soon after.