overstep JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU
/ˌəʊvəˈstɛp/ · o·ver·step
noun
- A gait in which the hind foot touches ground in front of where the front foot touches the ground. The horse's overstep made it difficult for the rider to maintain balance.
- A movement in which one oversteps. His sudden overstep during the dance surprised everyone.
verb
- To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions. She overstepped the line by revealing confidential information.
- To take a step in which the foot touches ground too far forward. He overstepped his stride, stumbling on the uneven pavement.
- To move with a gait such that the hind foot touches the ground forward of the point where the front foot touches the ground. The foal's overstepping indicated it was still learning to coordinate its legs.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? The term 'overstep' was originally used in equestrian contexts to describe a horse's gait, and only later did it acquire its popular figurative sense of exceeding limits.