Which prefix ’Out-’ or ’over-’

What are the differences between the prefixes ’out-’ and ’over-’? Language points A prefix is a group of letters added to the start of a word to change its meaning or make a new word. Examples are: mis-, un-, out-, over- Did you understand or did you misunderstand? That was an unsuccessful attempt. Try to be more successful next time. Out- = not central Out- can mean ’not central’ or ’external’ to nouns and adjectives: outskirts, outlying, outpatient. The building is on the outskirts of town. Most of the outlying region is desert. Out- = away from Out- can mean ’away from’ What time is the outbound train? She met me with outstretched arms. Out- = better Out- can attach to verbs to add the meaning ’going further than’ or ’being better than’. E.g. outlive, outmatch and outperform My grandma is very healthy. She’ll probably outlive us all. Last night, my football team were totally outmatched. Over- = too much Over- commonly means ’too much’ or ’more than enough’ E.g. overcook, overreact, overpriced, overconfident, overheat and overdo. I’m late. I totally overslept. It’s only a handstand. Don’t get overexcited. Over- = more than Over- can mean ’more than’ but without also meaning ’too much’ in a negative way. Look! I’ve found a holiday for the over-60s. I can’t tonight. I’m working overtime. Over- = across Over- can mean ’across’ Do you prefer the underground or overland train? Over- = above Over- can mean ’on top of’ or ’above’ The overseer wasn’t a very nice person. Watch out for that overhanging branch!