1 B2 neutral
to be much taller or higher than someone or something
"The old cathedral towers over the square."
“
The great redwood trees towered over us.
— Barack Obama, remarks on visiting Redwood National Park
inseparable
tower over
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
to be much taller or larger than someone or something nearby
In plain English
be a lot taller or bigger than something else
What does "tower over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
to seem more powerful, important, or impressive than others
"Even among talented writers, she towers over her generation."
inseparable
Usage tip
Used literally for people, buildings, and mountains, and figuratively for powerful or dominant figures.
Words that pair with "tower over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
city crowd children buildings opponents landscape
How to conjugate "tower over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tower over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
towers over
he/she/it
Past simple
towered over
yesterday
Past participle
towered over
have + pp
-ing form
towering over
continuous
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