1 A2 neutral
To have something remaining after use, especially food or money.
"We cooked too much pasta — there's always some left over."
separable
leave over
B1 neutral separable transitive
To allow something to remain unused or undone, so that it is available later.
In plain English
To not use all of something, so some is left for later.
What does "leave over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To leave a task or issue unfinished to be dealt with at a later time.
"They decided to leave the trickiest agenda items over for the next meeting."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To leave something in a remaining state.
Actually means
To not use all of something, so some is left for later.
Usage tip
Most commonly encountered in the passive ('left over') to describe remaining food, money, or time. The active construction 'leave over' is less frequent. 'Leftovers' as a noun (food remaining after a meal) is derived from this verb.
Words that pair with "leave over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
food money time budget material space
How to conjugate "leave over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
leave over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
leaves over
he/she/it
Past simple
left over
yesterday
Past participle
left over
have + pp
-ing form
leaving over
continuous
Hear "leave over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "leave over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "leave over"
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