Meanings
plural fourth gears
- countableuncountableThe fourth of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.
Synonyms: fourth
- countabledatedidiomaticuncountableA maximal level of effort.
During the seventies, Shashi Kapoor went into fourth gear in Bollywood, while Merchant and Ivory made a slew of films, many of which were not set in India.
2009, Madhu Jain, The Kapoors: The First Family of Indian Cinema, page 2431 more example
After all, he did the very same thing, pool and lunch, every Friday afternoon for five months—Friday perfect because it gave his cock a rest before the weekend, when it went into fourth gear.
2014, Paul Monette, The Gold Diggers: A NovelSynonyms: top gear, overdrive, full throttle
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe fourth of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.
nounA maximal level of effort.
Origin
The figurative sense reflects that in some times and places, fourth gear was the highest gear that a car could achieve; compare French en quatrième vitesse.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian четвъ́рта преда́вка
- четвъ́рта преда́вка (četvắrta predávka)fourth gear of an engine
German vierter Gang
- vierter Gangfourth gear of an engine
Polish czwarty bieg
- czwarty biegfourth gear of an engine
Cite this entry
fourth gear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fourth%20gear
“fourth gear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fourth%20gear. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fourth gear,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fourth%20gear.
Source: fourth gear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.