leftover

1 of 2

noun

left·​over ˈleft-ˌō-vər 

1

: something that remains unused or unconsumed

especially : leftover food served at a later meal

—usually used in plural

2

: an anachronistic survival : vestige

leftover

2 of 2

adjective

: not consumed or used

leftover food

leftover space

Synonyms

Noun

• end
• fag end
• oddment
• remainder
• remnant
• scrap
• stub

Examples of leftover in a Sentence

Noun

Are we having leftovers again?

The law is a leftover from earlier times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Separate raw poultry and eggs from ready-to-eat stuff, like leftovers, fruits, and vegetables. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 12 Feb. 2025

But here’s the move: Smoke several blocks at a time, then refrigerate the leftovers. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2025

Adjective

Related article Newly discovered asteroid now has a slightly higher risk of hitting Earth Jets as enormous as Porphyrion would be difficult to detect in the early universe because leftover radiation from the big bang drowns out the radio light released by the jets, Gloudemans said. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025

Turn leftover pasta into a crispy egg pasta frittata the next day! —Bon Appétit, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1864, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

leftover

noun

left·​over

ˈlef-ˌtō-vər

: something remaining

especially : food left over from one meal and served at another

—usually used in plural

leftover adjective