Example: She bent over backwards to help her friend move.
Definition
"To bend over backwards" means to make an extraordinary effort to help or please someone, often going beyond what is expected or reasonable. It suggests a willingness to sacrifice comfort or convenience in order to support or accommodate others.
Translations
hacer todo lo posible
zich dubbel plooien
fer tot el possible
se plier en quatre
sich ein Bein ausreißen
Etymology
The phrase "to bend over backwards" likely originates from a physical image of someone literally bending their body backward in an exaggerated way, symbolizing great effort or flexibility. The expression has been used figuratively since the 19th century to describe extreme efforts to accommodate or assist others.
Learn to use this expression actively
"To bend over backwards" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 106 commonly used expressions.
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