phrasal verb · informal

get carried away

/ɡet ˌkærid əˈweɪ/get CAR·ried a·WAY

speaking

become too excited or involved and do more than you intended

Examples

I got carried away and bought too many souvenirs.

Don't get carried away when you tell the story — keep it short.

She got carried away by the music and started dancing on the table.

Band 8 sentence

I mustn't get carried away when describing my achievements in the exam — concise, concrete examples are better.

Collocations

  • get carried away with
  • don't get carried away
  • get carried away by the moment

Word family

get carried away (v) verbgot carried away (past) verbgetting carried away (v-ing) verb

Common mistakes

I was carried awayI got carried away

get carried withget carried away with

Say it for a higher band

5overdo6go overboard7+get carried away

Synonyms

go overboard

overdo

Easily confused

get away with

He cheated on the exam but somehow got away with it.

go overboard

She went overboard decorating the room for the party.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In get …

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