walk all over

IPA/wˈɔːk ˈɔːl ˈəʊvə/
IPA/wˈɔːk ˈɔːl ˈoʊvɚ/

walk all over — idiom

1. to dominate or take advantage of someone by ignoring their feelings, needs, or r

1.idiomtransitiveB2
Definition

to dominate or take advantage of someone by ignoring their feelings, needs, or rights, often forcing them to accept your demands; or to defeat another person or team completely and with no difficulty in a competition or argument

Example

A new manager walked all over the junior staff, giving them the worst tasks and ignoring their ideas.

walk all over + person (workplace domination)

If you always agree to help, people will soon walk all over you.

advice structure: 'people will walk all over you'

Common collocations
  • let someone walk all over you
  • refuse to let someone walk all over you
  • get walked all over
  • walk all over the competition
  • walk all over the opposition
Synonyms
  • push around

    equally informal; focuses on bullying or bossing someone

  • take advantage of

    more neutral register; can apply to situations (not just people)

  • trounce

    used only for defeat in games, competitions, or arguments; slightly dated

Antonyms
  • stand up to

    the opposite action — refusing to be dominated

  • respect

    opposite of the 'treat badly' meaning

Grammar Patterns

walk all over + person / team / opponent

passive: get walked all over / be walked all over

imperative: don't let [someone] walk all over you

Usage Note

Always takes an object — the person or group that is being dominated or defeated. Commonly used in advice or warning sentences such as 'Don't let them walk all over you.' The passive form (get walked all over / be walked all over) is also frequent in spoken English.

Common Mistakes

She walked all over the exam.
She walked all over the other candidates in the exam.
The idiom refers to defeating people, not things or tasks.
The new boss walked all over.
The new boss walked all over the office staff.
The idiom always requires an object.

Etymology

English

The phrase comes from the literal act of walking over someone who is lying on the ground, treating them as if they are not there. Over time it became a metaphor for treating a person with complete disregard, and later also for defeating an opponent so thoroughly that it feels as if you have simply walked past them without any effort.