Done with vs Over

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Done with

Beyond 10,000 (less common)

Over

High-frequency chunkA1preposition
Most common: Over
 Done withOver
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //dʌn wɪð//🇺🇸 //dʌn wɪð//🇬🇧 /["/ˈəʊvə(r)/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈəʊvər/"]/
Meaningfinished or no longer involved with somethingabove or higher than something.
ExampleI am done with my homework.The cat jumped over the fence.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonBeyond 10,000 (less common)High-frequency chunk
CEFR level-A1
Part of speechpreposition
Collocationsdone with work, done with school, done with responsibilitiesover the moon, over time, over and over
Antonymsengaged with, involved with, continuing withunder, beneath, below
Common mistakesUsing 'done' without 'with' when indicating completion., Confusing with 'done by', which implies a different meaning., Omitting the object after 'done with'.Confused with 'above' in some contexts., Using 'over' when 'more than' is meant, e.g., 'over 10 dollars' instead of 'more than 10 dollars'., Mixing up 'over' with 'across' when indicating movement.
Usage notesCommon in informal contexts to express completion. Less formal than saying 'finished with'. Avoid in very formal writing.Used to indicate position, movement, or excess. Can denote physical position (e.g., the bird flew over the house) or metaphorical situations (e.g., over the limit). Avoid in very formal writing.

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Done with

Frequently asked questions: Done with vs Over

What's the difference between Done with and Over?

Done with: finished or no longer involved with something Over: above or higher than something.

Which is more common: Done with and Over?

Over is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Done with: I am done with my homework. Over: The cat jumped over the fence.

Can I use Done with and Over interchangeably?

Not always. Done with and Over are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.