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Glite Dictionary
to fall over backwards

to fall over backwards

4.8
To try very hard to please or help someone more than needed
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : hacer todo lo posible
  • She always falls over backwards to help her friends with their problems.

Examples

  • I will fall over backwards to help you!

  • The company will fall over backwards to keep its best employees happy.

  • He fell over backwards trying to impress his boss during the meeting.

  • She falls over backwards just to please her boss.

  • He fell over backwards trying to impress his boss during the meeting.

  • The company will fall over backwards to keep its best employees happy.

  • She always falls over backwards to help her friends with their problems.

Synonyms

to bend over backwards
vsto fall over backwards
  • Informal
24 4.9

To try very hard to help someone or make them happy

try very hard to help often doing more than is necessary

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

neglect
100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

How Helpful

to move heaven and earth
  • Informal
7 4.2
to fall over backwards
  • Informal
4.8
to go out of one's way
  • Informal
53 3.5
to assist
605 1.0

Surface Forms

fall over backwards infinitive
falling over backwards present participle
falls over backwards third person singular
fell over backwards past
fallen over backwards past participle

Morphology

fall + over + backward

The literal components 'fall' + 'over' + 'backwards' conjure a dramatic physical motion that metaphorically suggests going to extremes, so a learner could infer a relation to exerting effort. However the specific pragmatic meaning 'make a great effort to help or please' is a metaphorical extension and not fully predictable from the parts (and English more commonly uses 'bend over backwards'), so prior exposure is typically needed.

Etymology

The idiom fall over backwards may come from the image of someone trying so hard to help that they actually fall backwards. That's why it means 'to make a great effort to help or please someone', often more than is needed.