to sweep off someone's feet
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
dejar sin aliento
- The charming musician's performance was so captivating that it left the audience swept off their feet.
Examples
-
All a girl wants is a little romance, to be swept off her feet.
-
Many fans were swept off their feet by the enchanting beauty of the new film.
-
Maybe I'll be swept off my feet by some handsome doctor in dallas.
-
She wants to be swept off her feet.
-
I was very drunk... ...and quite swept off my feet by your charms.
-
Did you actually think... ...that I would be swept off my feet by a sadistic coward like you?
-
I don't expect to meetthe man I'll marry or anything, but it'd be nice to be swept off my feet and consumed by passion."
-
"Amanda Jones is no minor leaguer... ...who'll be swept off her feet at the touch of your amateur lips."
-
When he surprised her with a romantic dinner, she felt completely swept off her feet.
Synonyms
457
2.8
To make someone admire you or accept an idea
50
6.2
To surprise someone a lot and make them feel excited
39
6.4
To hold someone's full attention as if by magic
37
3.0
To attract and hold someone's interest or affection
33
6.1
To hold someone's full attention because something is very interesting or surprising
33
4.1
Make someone feel very surprised and unable to speak
21
5.6
To make someone feel a sudden strong feeling, often romantic
20
6.8
To hold someone's full attention by being very interesting
19
4.2
To attract and hold someone's full attention
18
4.7
To impress someone strongly so they feel admiration
17
4.8
To make someone feel very pleased and amazed as if by magic
7
4.6
To feel very strong emotions that you cannot control
6
6.5
To attract someone by using charm
4
8.4
To attract and charm someone while tricking them
1
7.0
To hold people completely interested as if by magic
1
7.0
To make someone feel love and admiration for a person or thing
1
3.6
To make someone feel love or a strong liking for you
1
6.0
To make someone feel very excited, often suddenly
Hold someone's attention completely and make them feel very interested
To use magic or nice words to make someone like and obey you
Make a person fall deeply and quickly in love with you
Antonyms
How Captivating
475
1.6
- Informal
19
4.2
457
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
sweep + off + someone's + foot
The expression builds on the literal image of being physically 'swept off one's feet' (sweep + off + feet), so there is a motivated metaphorical link to being overwhelmed emotionally. However, mapping that physical image to the specific meaning 'to enchant or captivate' requires an abstract metaphorical shift that a B1 learner who only knows the words may not automatically make, and cross-linguistic realizations vary, so it is only partially predictable.
Etymology
The idiom sweep off someone's feet may come from the image of a strong move that sweeps a person's feet off the floor, like a quick dance turn or a sudden wave. That's why it means 'to be so impressed or to fall in love'.