go too far

go too far — idiom

1. When someone goes too far, they say or do something more extreme than what other

1.慣用語B1
釋義

When someone goes too far, they say or do something more extreme than what other people think is acceptable in that situation, often upsetting others or breaking rules.

例句

Devika knew she had gone too far when her friend Luca stopped returning her calls.

gone too far when + consequence

The comedian went too far with his jokes, and several audience members walked out.

went too far with + noun phrase

同義詞
  • cross the line

    Equally common and informal; often used in moral or ethical contexts

  • overstep the mark

    Slightly more formal, common in British English

  • take it too far

    Informal variant using 'it' as a placeholder; largely interchangeable

用法筆記

Common in informal speech and writing. Often signals that a social or moral boundary has been crossed, from minor teasing to serious rule-breaking. The past form is went too far (not go too far).

常見錯誤

❌She went too far for the party decorations.
✅She went too far with the party decorations.
💡The idiom describes behaviour, not physical extent; use 'with' to introduce the action or thing being overdone.
❌He always goes too far for his jokes.
✅He always goes too far with his jokes.
💡Use 'with' for the thing being exaggerated, not 'for'.