get something over with

verb

To proceed to do something as soon as possible, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

“I hate getting shots, but it's best just to get it over with.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbget something over with (third-person singular simple present gets something over with, present participle getting something over with, simple past got something over with, past participle (UK) got something over with or (US) gotten something over with)

present singular third person gets something over with · participle present getting something over with · past got something over with · UK participle past got something over with · US participle past gotten something over with

  1. idiomaticTo proceed to do something as soon as possible, especially so as to have something unpleasant behind oneself.

    I hate getting shots, but it's best just to get it over with.

    1 more example

    Let's just get this over with. I'm sure we've all got things we'd rather be doing

    2019, “One Bad Day” (50 seconds from the start), in Marvel's The Punisher, season 2, episode 7

Origin

get + over with

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch ergens komaf mee maken
  • ergens komaf mee makenput behind oneself
Finnish saada alta pois
  • saada alta poisput behind oneself
French en finir avec
  • en finir avecput behind oneself
German etwas hinter sich bringen
  • etwas hinter sich bringenput behind oneself
Polish mieć coś z głowy
  • mieć coś z głowyput behind oneself
Russian поко́нчить с че́м-либо
  • поко́нчить с че́м-либо (pokónčitʹ s čém-libo)put behind oneself
Spanish hacerlo de una vez por todas, terminar con
  • hacerlo de una vez por todasput behind oneself
  • terminar conput behind oneself
  • superarput behind oneself
  • ahorrarseput behind oneself
  • acabarput behind oneself
  • acabarseput behind oneself
Swedish få något överstökat
  • få något överstökatput behind oneself
Turkish atlatmak
  • atlatmakput behind oneself
Ukrainian закінчити з цим
  • закінчити з цим (zakinčyty z cym)put behind oneself
Cite this entry
APA

get something over with. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20something%20over%20with

MLA

“get something over with.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20something%20over%20with. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get something over with,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20something%20over%20with.

Source: get something over with on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.