How do you use "Keel over" in a sentence?

He keeled over in the middle of the meeting. I nearly keeled over from the heat. Don't work yourself until you keel over.

Keel over

Q: What does "Keel over" mean?

To collapse suddenly; fall over. 'Keeling over' means collapsing—falling down suddenly. 'He keeled over at work' suggests sudden collapse, possibly serious. Can be from heat, illness, or worse. Dramatic image of falling like a ship capsizing.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: To collapse suddenly; fall over.

突然倒下

Desplomarse de repente

突然倒れる

갑자기 쓰러지다, 곤두박질치다.

'Keeling over' means collapsing—falling down suddenly. 'He keeled over at work' suggests sudden collapse, possibly serious. Can be from heat, illness, or worse. Dramatic image of falling like a ship capsizing.

因疾病或疲惫突然倒下。

Caerse de repente, a menudo por enfermedad o agotamiento.

病気や疲労で急に倒れること。

'Keeling over'는 갑자기 쓰러지는 것을 뜻합니다. 'He keeled over at work'는 직장에서 갑자기 쓰러졌다는 뜻으로, 심각한 상황일 수 있습니다. 더위, 병, 또는 더 심각한 원인으로 발생할 수 있습니다. 배가 뒤집히듯 쓰러지는 극적인 이미지를 담고 있습니다.

Examples

He keeled over in the middle of the meeting.
他因中暑晕倒了
Se desplomó por un golpe de calor
彼は熱中症で倒れた
그는 회의 중에 갑자기 쓰러졌어.
I nearly keeled over from the heat.
她看起来快要倒了
Parecía que iba a desplomarse
彼女は今にも倒れそうだった
더위에 쓰러질 뻔했어.
Don't work yourself until you keel over.
别干到累倒
No trabajes hasta caer rendido
倒れるまで働くな
쓰러질 때까지 일하지 마.

Pronunciation

/kiːl ˈəʊvə/

Usage Guide

Context: collapse, fainting, exhaustion

Tone: dramatic, concerning

✓ Do Say

Keeled over
突然倒下了
Se desplomó
ばったり倒れた
푹 쓰러졌어
Nearly keeled over
差点倒下
Casi se desploma
危うく倒れるところだった
하마터면 쓰러질 뻔했어
Going to keel over
快要倒下了
Se va a desplomar
倒れそうだ
쓰러질 것 같아

Common Mistakes

Nautical origin—not about kneeling

Origin & History

From nautical terminology—a ship 'keeling over' means it capsizes, rolling onto its keel (bottom). Applied to people falling over suddenly, particularly from illness or exhaustion.

Etymology: Nautical: ship rolling onto its keel

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common expression

Regional notes: Universal English.

Variations

Keel overKeeled over