Überhöhte

Überhöhte is the simple past tense form of the German verb überhöhen. The infinitive is überhöhen, and the past participle is überhöht. The prefix über- adds notions of excess or surpassing, attached to Höhe (height). As a result, überhöhte can refer to raising something beyond its normal height or to exaggerating its significance.

Usage: literal sense. In construction or engineering, it can mean increasing height beyond standard, for example in adjusting a structure or, in railway terms, the height relationship of track. In language and rhetoric, it can denote exaggerating the importance or meaning of something. Examples: Der Architekt überhöhte die Fensterhöhe in der Planung. In einer Rede überhöhte der Politiker die Bedeutung des Projekts.

Grammatical note. Als finite verb form appears überhöhte in Präteritum with subjects such as ich or er/sie/es. The corresponding past participle used in perfect tenses is überhöht. The form’s meaning depends on context and may be physical elevation or figurative exaggeration.

Related terms. The noun Überhöhung means elevation or exaggeration and is used in both physical and figurative contexts. In railway engineering, die Überhöhung (superelevation) describes the tilt of the track on curves to compensate for centrifugal forces.

See also. Überhöhung, Superelevation.