overboard
Americanadverb
idioms
adverb
-
from on board a vessel into the water
-
informal
-
to be extremely enthusiastic
-
to go to extremes
-
-
to reject or abandon
Etymology
Origin of overboard
before 1000; Middle English over bord, Old English ofer bord. See over, board
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.
My mom had protocols to go overboard with the Stray Cats but also be very subtle in our generosity.
From Literature
![]()
During the qualifying trip, he broke several ribs falling over in rough seas and a key piece of equipment, his spinnaker pole, was lost overboard.
From BBC
Going overboard on the momentous nature of this contest is not a smart play.
From BBC
According to the Associated Press, Meadows died after he was reported to have fallen overboard around 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
From Los Angeles Times
Boylan himself called in a Mayday at 3:14 a.m. and jumped overboard, which prosecutors described as abandoning ship.
From Los Angeles Times
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.