overboard
Americanadverb
idioms
adverb
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from on board a vessel into the water
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informal
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to be extremely enthusiastic
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to go to extremes
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to reject or abandon
Etymology
Origin of overboard
before 1000; Middle English over bord, Old English ofer bord. See over, board
Explanation
You can only fall overboard if you're on a boat. If you fall overboard, don't forget your life vest! The adverb overboard most often comes up when someone falls in the water. When it's used literally, it very specifically refers to the movement of a person or an object from a boat into the ocean or other body of water. Figuratively, to go overboard means to take something too far — you're going overboard on your diet if you refuse to eat anything that isn't green.
Vocabulary lists containing overboard
Inside Out & Back Again
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Bud, Not Buddy
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 26–December 2, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some companies have been so eager to use AI that they've gone overboard in a usage binge called "tokenmaxxing."
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
He was told to go overboard but was then called back to help the wounded and secure the ship, which was flooding.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
I can’t remember which season where you read your reviews and throw the iPad overboard, but it lives in my mind rent-free.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
I love tuna salad and have definitely gone overboard with how often I eat it every week.
From Salon • May 24, 2026
Much of the food had spoiled or gone overboard in the storm.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
