Meaning & use
overfertilize
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
to put too much fertilizer on plants or soil, often causing damage
Grammar: Takes an object: overfertilize the lawn.
Patterns
- overfertilize something
- overfertilize the soil
- overfertilize plants
If you overfertilize your lawn, the grass may turn brown.
Farmers who overfertilize their fields can pollute nearby streams.
It is easy to overfertilize potted plants because they have little soil.
verbintransitive
to apply too much fertilizer to crops or land
Grammar: No object; often followed by with: overfertilize with nitrogen.
Patterns
- overfertilize with something
Do not overfertilize with nitrogen; it can burn the roots.
The garden suffered because they overfertilized with a high-phosphorus mix.
Word forms
| third person singular | overfertilizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | overfertilized |
| past participle | overfertilized |
| -ing form | overfertilizing |
Common combinations
- overfertilize the lawn
- Be careful not to overfertilize the lawn in summer.
- overfertilize with nitrogen
- Farmers should avoid overfertilizing with nitrogen.
- overfertilize plants
- Overfertilizing plants can lead to weak growth.
- overfertilize the soil
- Overfertilizing the soil may harm beneficial organisms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overfeed
- Used for giving too much food to animals or people, not for plants.
Word family
- fertilize verb
- To add fertilizer to soil or plants to help them grow.
- fertilizer noun
- A substance added to soil to make plants grow better.
- overfertilization noun
- The act or result of applying too much fertilizer.
Commonly confused: overfertilize or overwater?
overfertilize vs overwater
Overwatering means giving plants too much water, while overfertilizing means giving them too much fertilizer.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'overfertilize' correctly.
Choose one answer.
Overfertilize is used for plants and soil, so sentence 0 is correct. The other sentences use it with things that are not fertilized.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overfertilize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.