Meanings
present singular third person oversteps · participle present overstepping · participle past overstepped · past overstepped
- transitiveTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
That color scheme really oversteps the bounds of good taste.
1 more example
As a result, there was a gain of 3½ min. from Goraghwood to Dundalk, which we reached 2 min. early. Nevertheless, the customs officials succeeded in overstepping their 13-min. time allowance, and we left 1 min. late.
1960 February, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 112Synonyms: transgress, outstep
- To take a step in which the foot touches ground too far forward.
As an instance of this inability to control the muscles well, may be cited the almost constant tendency to understep or overstep especially with the fore legs.
1907, University of Nebraska (Lincoln campus). Agricultural Experiment Station, Annual Report - Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station2 more examples
If a sense of feeling gave him some knowledge of the width of the steps the fact that the third step was ⅝ of an inch wider could not cause him to overstep, but if it had any effect it would tend to cause him to understep.
1945, North eastern reporter. second series - Volume 60, page 499Cerebellar dysfunction is characterized by truncal ataxia, a broad-based stance, dysmetria in which the limbs either overstep (hypermetria) or understep (hypometria), and tremor that is most pronounced when the animal attempts a goal-orientated movement (intention tremor).
2004, Johnny D. Hoskins, Geriatrics and Gerontology of the Dog and Cat, →ISBN, page 358 - To move with a gait such that the hind foot touches the ground forward of the point where the front foot touches the ground.
For quotations using this term, see Citations:overstep.
- uncountableA gait in which the hind foot touches ground in front of where the front foot touches the ground.
A few animals, such as bison, commonly use an understep walk, while several species, including black bears, cougars and pronghorn regularly use an overstep walk.
2012, Jonathan Poppele, Animal Tracks: Midwest Edition, →ISBN, page 271 more example
Therefore, an understep (where the hind track lies behind the front track) is probably a slower gait than a direct-registering walk where the hind lies on top of the front, and both are probably slower than an overstep walk, where the hind track registers beyond the front track.
2012, Lawrence Mark Elbroch, Michael Kresky, Jonah Evans, Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California, →ISBN, page 49 - uncountableA movement in which one oversteps.
- uncountableA decision or action that goes too far.
[…] an overstep of their legal bounds as an organization of any kind, and a violation of your civil rights.
2017, Katessa Harkey, The Peace of the Hall, page 45
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
More synonyms by meaning
verbbe superior or better than some standard
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*uberstapjaną“to step over; overstep”
- Old Englishofersteppan
- Middle English*oversteppen
- Englishoverstep
From Middle English *oversteppen, from Old English ofersteppan, from Proto-Germanic *uberstapjaną (“to step over; overstep”). Cognate with Dutch overstappen, German Low German överstappen, German überstapfen, überstepfen. Cf. transgress. By surface analysis, over- + step.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَخَطَّى
- تَخَطَّى (taḵaṭṭā)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Bulgarian престъпвам, прекрачвам
- престъпвам (prestăpvam)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- прекрачвам (prekračvam)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Catalan ultrapassar
- ultrapassarTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Czech překračovat, překročit
- překračovatTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- překročitTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Danish overtræde
- overtrædeTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Dutch overschrijden
- overschrijdenTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
French outrepasser
- outrepasserTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
German überschreiten
- überschreitenTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Hindi लाँघना
- लाँघना (lāṅghnā)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Hungarian túllép
- túllépTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Italian oltrepassare
- oltrepassareTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Polish przekraczać, przekroczyć
- przekraczaćTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- przekroczyćTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Russian переступа́ть
- переступа́ть (perestupátʹ)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Spanish propasarse con, sobrepasar
- propasarse conTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- sobrepasarTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- pasarse deTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Swedish överträda
- överträdaTo go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Ukrainian переступа́ти, переступи́ти
- переступа́ти (perestupáty)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
- переступи́ти (perestupýty)To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with overstep
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
overstep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overstep
“overstep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overstep. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overstep,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overstep.
Source: overstep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.