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Glite Dictionary
all over

all over

∞ 1.0
In every part of a place
  • phrasal verb
: por todas partes
  • You can find delicious food trucks all over the city, offering a variety of cuisines.
  • all over the world
  • all over the place
  • all over the country

So I'm just going to start and dot this all over my forehead.

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Examples

  • No, It will be a fine trial broadcast all over the country.

    Hitler's Children (1943)

  • The order has spread all over Europe.

    Francis of Assisi (1961)

  • The reporter noted that much the same is going on all over the district.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Much of the future is being worked out in churches all over South Africa.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The Soviet Union could count on the support of Communists all over the world.

    Academic text (2015)

  • It was all over the news.

    Joey & Rex Save the Church (2022)

  • He traveled all over England and all over Europe on railways.

  • The festival will have performances all over the park, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the event.

  • During the summer, flowers bloom all over the fields, creating a vibrant landscape.

Synonyms

over
vsall over
∞ 1.0

During a period of time such as a week or year

highlights distribution across a place rather than lasting through time
everywhere
vsall over
∞ 1.0

In all places

is used for spread across a place rather than for time
throughout
vsall over
∞ 1.0

In every part of a place or during the whole time

focuses more on physical spread inside an area than on time
far and wide
vsall over
27 2.6

In many places across a large area

is more neutral about area size and simply means everywhere in a place
here, there and everywhere
vsall over
  • Informal
2 4.3

In many places at the same time

is narrower, mainly meaning spread across a single area
everyplace
vsall over
  • US
1 2.0

In all places

keeps the same place focus rather than implying duration
every which where
vsall over
  • Informal
9.6

In every possible place

is the neutral way to express wide presence without informal tone

Antonyms

nowhere
∞ 1.0

Not in any place where someone can find it

How Widespread

everywhere
∞ 1.0
all over
∞ 1.0
here and there
138 1.7

Surface Forms

all over positive

Morphology

all + over

The meaning 'in every place / throughout an area' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'all' (the whole) with 'over' (throughout/through), matching the ordinary spatial/extent sense of the words. This construction follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern (whole + cover/over) and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The adverb all over comes from a simple image: something spread over a place so it covers all parts. That's why all over now means 'everywhere' or 'in every place'.