Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
fall over oneself. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
fall over oneself, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
fall over oneself in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
fall over oneself you have here. The definition of the word
fall over oneself will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
fall over oneself, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Verb
fall over oneself (third-person singular simple present falls over oneself, present participle falling over oneself, simple past fell over oneself, past participle fallen over oneself)
- To be unusually enthusiastic.
1948, Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain, published 1999, →ISBN, page 317:Catholic families in the town were falling over themselves in their anxiety to invite the young Franciscans to come and sit in their parlors and be made much of, with cookies and soft drinks.
2004, David Walsh, Why Do They Act That Way?, Free Press, published 2005, →ISBN, page 250:As long as we don't fall over ourselves to congratulate our adolescent every time she wipes her feet on the mat, a well-placed and consistent "thank you," a compliment, or a sign of appreciation can go a long way.
2007, Jeffrey Rosen, The Supreme Court: The personalities and rivalries that defined America, →ISBN, page 53:On the contrary, instead of wholeheartedly defending Chase, Marshall fell over himself to accommodate his accusers.
Usage notes
- This is usually followed by to and a verb, as in the examples.
- There are also literal meanings of the phrase, parsed as fall over, which see, plus oneself.