der Überrest, -e
remnant
Das, was von etwas übrig bleibt, nachdem ein Teil weg ist oder etwas vorbei ist.
Definition & meaning
Überrest is a masculine German noun: der Überrest, plural die Überreste. It means remnant, remainder, residue, or what is left of something after most of it has disappeared, been used, destroyed, or removed.
It can refer to:
-
A remaining part or fragment
- ein Überrest einer alten Mauer — a remnant of an old wall
- die Überreste einer zerstörten Stadt — the remains of a destroyed city
-
The remains of a person, animal, or ancient culture
- menschliche Überreste — human remains
- archäologische Überreste — archaeological remains
The word often suggests that the original object or entity was once larger or more complete. It is somewhat more formal than Rest.
Grammar & Word origin
- Gender: masculine
- Singular: der Überrest
- Plural: die Überreste
- Pronunciation: approximately Ü-ber-rest
The word consists of:
- über- — here conveying the idea of “remaining” or “left over”
- der Rest — a remainder, leftover, or remaining part
Thus, Überrest literally refers to something that has remained from an earlier whole.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- der Rest — “remainder” or “leftover”; more general and more common. Überrest often sounds more formal and emphasizes what has survived from something that is largely gone.
- das Überbleibsel — “leftover” or “remnant”; usually more colloquial and can sound slightly dismissive.
- das Relikt — “relic” or “vestige”; emphasizes something surviving from a past period, tradition, or system.
- der Rückstand — “residue” or “deposit”; mainly used for material left behind, especially in technical or chemical contexts.
Antonyms
There is no exact everyday antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites are:
- das Ganze — the whole or complete entity, as opposed to only a remaining fragment.
- die Vollständigkeit — completeness, as opposed to a state in which only remnants remain.
Common phrases & collocations
- die Überreste einer Stadt — the remains of a city
- menschliche Überreste — human remains
- archäologische Überreste — archaeological remains
- die letzten Überreste — the last remnants
- nur noch ein Überrest von etwas sein — to be only a remnant of something
- von etwas sind nur Überreste geblieben — only remnants of something have remained
Make “Überrest” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Sie verkauften die Überreste bei einem Flohmarkt.noun
They sold the remnants at a flea market.
Nach der Party blieb nur ein kleiner Überrest übrig.noun
After the party, only a small remnant remained.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad