Get over meaning
Get over means to feel better after an illness. It can also mean to stop feeling sad or upset about something.
get over something
get over · got · getting
It took me two weeks to get over the flu.
Get over meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Feel better after an illness
get over something
- It took me two weeks to get over the flu.
- Have you got over your cold yet?
- He’s still getting over the operation.
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2
Stop feeling sad or upset about something
get over something
- She never really got over the breakup.
- It took him years to get over losing his dog.
- You’ll get over it. Everyone fails a test sometimes.
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3
Be very surprised by something
get over something
- I can’t get over how tall you are now!
- We couldn’t get over the view from the top.
- I still can’t get over how cheap the flat was.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use get over in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is get over separable?
Get over is not separable. The object always comes after it: get over the flu, get over it. Never say get it over.
Get something over with is a different phrasal verb. It means finish something unpleasant, and the object goes in the middle: Let’s get the exam over with.
Verb tenses for get over
| Present | I get over · she gets over |
|---|---|
| Past | got over |
| Present perfect | have got over (US: have gotten over) |
| -ing form | getting over |
Common mistakes with get over
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: It was a bad week, but I got it over.
Right: It was a bad week, but I got over it.
Get over is not separable. The pronoun goes after over.
Wrong: I can’t get over from the flu.
Right: I can’t get over the flu.
No from after get over. You recover from something, but you get over it.
Wrong: Let’s get over with the exam.
Right: Let’s get the exam over with.
Get something over with means finish it quickly. The object goes between get and over.
Synonyms and opposites of get over
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- recover fromthe more formal word for getting better after an illness
- move onstop thinking about something sad and start a new part of life
- cheer upstart to feel happier, often quickly
Opposite
- come down withstart to have an illness: I’m coming down with a cold
- dwell onkeep thinking about something sad
Get over quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1It took me a week to ___ the cold. Which phrasal verb fits?
Get over an illness means feel better after it.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Get over is not separable, and it needs no from.
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3“I can’t get over how tall you are!” How does the speaker feel?
Can’t get over something means you are very surprised by it.
More phrasal verbs with get
All phrasal verbs with get, by level, with an exercise
19 phrasal verbs start with get. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- get upA1get out of bed after you sleep
- get onA2go onto a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- get offA2leave a bus, train, plane, boat or bike
- get backA2return home or to a place where you were before
- get inA2enter a car, a taxi, a building or a small space
- get outA2leave a car, a room or a building
- get intoA2go inside a car, a building or a small space
- get alongB1like each other and be friendly
- get aroundB1travel or move from place to place
- get togetherB1meet other people, usually to spend time together
- get byB2manage to live or do something with just enough money, skill or help
- get throughB2pass an exam or reach the next stage of a competition
- get awayB2escape from a person or a place
- get away withB2do something wrong and not be punished for it
- get aheadB2be successful in your job or in life
- get on withB2start or continue doing something, especially work, after a pause
- get out ofB2avoid doing something you should do, often with an excuse
- get down toB2start doing something seriously and with full attention
Get over FAQ
Questions people ask about get over.
What does get over it mean?
Get over it! is a short way to tell someone to stop being upset about something small. It can sound rude, so use it only with friends. You’ll get over it is kinder.
What does get over someone mean?
To get over someone is to stop loving or missing them after a relationship ends. It took me a year to get over him.
Is it got over or gotten over?
Both are right. British English says I’ve got over it. American English usually says I’ve gotten over it.
What is the difference between get over and get over with?
Get over something means feel better after it. Get something over with means do something unpleasant now so it is finished: Let’s call the bank and get it over with.
Use get over in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.