1 B1 neutral
To knock someone down physically, usually by crashing into them.
"The large dog bowled him over as he came through the front door."
separable
bowl over
B2 neutral separable transitive
To physically knock someone off their feet, or to greatly impress or astonish someone.
In plain English
To knock someone down, or to surprise and impress someone so much that they can hardly believe it.
What does "bowl over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To greatly impress, astonish, or overwhelm someone, usually in a positive way.
"I was completely bowled over by the kindness of the local people during my trip."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To roll a ball at something and knock it over, as in the sport of bowling.
Actually means
To knock someone down, or to surprise and impress someone so much that they can hardly believe it.
Usage tip
The figurative sense (to greatly impress) is very common and is mostly used in the passive: 'I was bowled over by...' Common in British English but understood in American English as well.
Words that pair with "bowl over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
completely totally absolutely generosity performance news
How to conjugate "bowl over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bowl over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bowls over
he/she/it
Past simple
bowled over
yesterday
Past participle
bowled over
have + pp
-ing form
bowling over
continuous
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