Meaning of Idiom ‘Go Overboard’
To go overboard has a literal and a figurative meaning.
1. To go overboard can mean to fall out of a boat or fall off a ship into the water.
2. Figuratively, to go overboard is to do or say too much because you are overly enthusiastic; to act in an excessive way; to do too much in a particular situation;
to be too excited or eager about something; to go too far.
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Usage Notes
Go overboard and go too far are often used to mean the same thing.
However, to ‘go too far’ often has a negative connotation, meaning to behave in an excessive way or a socially unacceptable way that annoys or upsets people.
To go overboard is not always as negative and doesn’t have the sense of being socially unacceptable.
Examples Of Use
“Don’t stand up in the boat. You could go overboard.”
“You can buy a new sofa if you really want to but don’t go overboard. We can’t afford something fancy.”
“Don’t you think you’re going overboard a bit? Collin doesn’t like parties, let alone surprise parties.”
“Two people went overboard during the storm.”
“Brides often go overboard in their wedding plans, creating a financial burden for their parents.”
“He always goes overboard when he cooks dinner. Last night he made an eight-course meal complete with a charcuterie board.”
“The company went overboard hyping the capabilities of its new smartphone, leaving many customers disappointed.”
Origin
Go overboard has been used literally, to mean falling off a ship or boat, since at least the mid-1800s but does not seem to have been used figuratively until the early part of the 1900s, around 1930.
It may be that the modern idiom alludes to the extreme nature of falling from a large ship.
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