überholt

Meaning (in English)

überholt is the past participle of überholen and is commonly used as an adjective. It has two main meanings:

1. “overtaken / passed” (in traffic or movement)

• Someone or something has been passed by another.
• Example sense: Das Auto wurde überholt. → “The car was overtaken.”

2. “outdated / obsolete / no longer up to date”

• Something is considered old-fashioned, surpassed by newer ideas or developments.
• Example sense: Diese Theorie ist überholt. → “This theory is outdated.”

Word parts

• über-: prefix meaning “over / across / beyond”
• holen: “to fetch / get”
• Together (überholen): literally “to fetch past/over,” leading to the modern senses “to overtake” and “to surpass (so that something becomes outdated).”

German synonyms

For “overtaken / passed”:

• vorbeigefahren (an …)
• passiert (in the sense of “passed”)
• überrundet (especially in racing)

For “outdated / obsolete”:

• veraltet
• überlebt (often: “no longer relevant”)
• obsolet (more technical/formal)
• nicht mehr zeitgemäß

German antonyms (if applicable)

Opposite of “outdated”:

• aktuell
• zeitgemäß
• modern
• auf dem neuesten Stand

Opposite of “overtaken” (context-dependent):

• überholend (overtaking)
• führend (leading, e.g., in a race)