Idioms

go overboard

This page is about the idiom go overboard

Meaning

If you go overboard, you do something too much or you do it with excessive enthusiasm.

For example

  • Whenever my son gets a new hobby, he goes completely overboard. He's just discovered jazz, so now he wants to buy a saxophone, get lessons, buy hundreds of jazz books and recordings, and he even wants to go to New Orleans.

  • Harry gave his son a sportscar for his graduation present. Do you think he went a bit overboard?

Note:
See "go over the top" for another idiom with a similar meaning.

Quick Quiz

We can have a nice holiday in Spain whenever we like. We don't have to go overboard and

a. stay at home as well

b. move over there to live

c. go there occasionally
a) stay at home as well b) move over there to live c) go there occasionally

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey