to the moon and back
1
6.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
hasta la luna y de regreso
- He supports his friends to the moon and back, never hesitating to help when needed.
Examples
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She promised her child that she would do anything for him, to the moon and back.
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I love you to the moon and back, and nothing can ever change that.
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I love you to the moon and back!
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She would go to the moon and back for her children.
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"I would go to the moon and back for you, my dear friend."
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"She always tells her children that she loves them to the moon and back."
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"His dedication to the project shows that he cares for it to the moon and back."
Synonyms
7
7.2
Extremely, often in a loud or very strong way
Antonyms
How Much
- Informal
1
6.3
274
2.4
∞
1.0
349
1.9
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literal parts ('to', 'the', 'moon', 'and', 'back') describe a very large round trip, so a learner who knows the words can infer a metaphorical sense of vast extent (i.e., ‘a lot’). However, the use specifically to quantify love is a conventionalized hyperbole rather than a strictly compositional meaning, so understanding the exact pragmatic force usually requires exposure.
Etymology
To the moon and back creates a simple picture of a very long trip: someone goes all the way to the moon and then returns. So when you say you love someone to the moon and back, you mean you love them 'very much' or 'a great deal'.