# overstep

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˌəʊvəˈstɛp/ · frequency rank #61,008

## Definitions
1. To go too far beyond (a limit); especially, to cross boundaries or exceed norms or conventions.
2. To take a step in which the foot touches ground too far forward.
3. To move with a gait such that the hind foot touches the ground forward of the point where the front foot touches the ground.

## Etymology
From Middle English *oversteppen, from Old English ofersteppan, from Proto-Germanic *uberstapjaną (“to step over; overstep”), equivalent to over- + step. Cognate with Dutch overstappen, German Low German överstappen, German überstapfen, überstepfen.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/overstep