to take too far
1
5.3
- phrasal verb
:
excederse
- Although Romanticism is a valuable counterbalance to the sometimes cold rationality of Enlightenment thought, it can become dangerous if taken too far.
Now, anything taken too far can can be bad.
- Now, anything taken too far can can be bad.
Examples
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Integrity, if taken too far, can be equally ruthless.
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Some jokes can be funny, but they can be taken too far if they offend others.
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Now, anything taken too far can can be bad.
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Now, anything taken too far can can be bad.
-
Anything can be taken too far.
Blog text (1) -
But this sort of argument is almost always taken too far.
Academic text (2001) -
My point is this whole argument has been taken too far.
Blog text (25) -
I think it's a mistake to focus too much on net exports, but it's a perfectly useful idea if not taken too far.
Blog text (28) -
I tell her we are in Indiana, and she gives me this surprised look, as if maybe this whole trip is a joke one of us has taken too far.
Fiction book (1994) -
And I'm sorry, baby For the what ifs, maybes I've taken too far
Synonyms
255
4.1
To be greater than a set amount or beyond what people expect
201
3.6
To exceed a limit or what people expect
201
4.2
Say or do something that is not acceptable and may hurt people
192
4.8
Make something seem bigger than it really is
58
3.6
Do something too much, more than needed
53
5.6
To do something more extreme than people expect
45
4.4
To do something more than is needed
19
6.3
To try to do more than you can handle and cause strain
15
6.2
To go beyond what you are allowed to do
11
5.9
To go beyond a limit or rule
10
5.0
Go beyond what people consider acceptable
4
5.3
Go past a limit or planned time
3
6.2
To behave in a way people think is not acceptable
1
5.5
To push someone or something beyond what they can manage
1
6.3
To go past a limit people set and cause serious problems
To go beyond safe limits and harm your success
Antonyms
How Excessive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to extend or continue something beyond what is reasonable' is directly and compositionally derived from 'take' (to carry/extend) + 'too' (excessively) + 'far' (to an extreme degree). This follows a common, transparent English pattern (compare 'take it too far' / 'go too far') and has clear parallels in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Take too far comes from the image of someone literally taking something too far, carrying or pulling it beyond the sensible point. So it means 'to extend or continue something beyond what is reasonable or acceptable'.