1 B1 idiomatic informal
To pay or hand over money, especially unwillingly.
"The landlord demanded that we fork over two months' rent as a deposit."
separable
fork over
B1 informal separable transitive
To hand over money or something valuable, often reluctantly.
In plain English
Give money or something to someone, even though you don't want to.
What does "fork over" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To pass something over (to someone) as if lifting it with a fork.
Actually means
Give money or something to someone, even though you don't want to.
Usage tip
Primarily American English. Almost always used with money as the object. Can be used as a command: 'Fork it over!' Implies the payer is reluctant or being pressured.
Words that pair with "fork over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cash money wallet payment ransom fee
How to conjugate "fork over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fork over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
forks over
he/she/it
Past simple
forked over
yesterday
Past participle
forked over
have + pp
-ing form
forking over
continuous
Hear "fork over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fork over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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