sweep (one) off (one's) feet

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sweep (one) off (one's) feet

To charm one in such a way that they form an instant and strong romantic attraction, usually unexpectedly. A: "Is Lucy still gushing about her new boyfriend?" B: "Yeah, he must have really swept her off her feet."

sweep one off one's feet

and knock one off one's feet

1. Lit. to knock someone down. The wind swept me off my feet. Bill punched Bob playfully, and knocked him off his feet.

2. Fig. to overwhelm someone (figuratively). Mary is madly in love with Bill. He swept her off her feet. The news was so exciting that it knocked me off my feet.

off someone's feet

1. sweep or carry or knock off someone's feet . Overwhelm someone emotionally; infatuate someone; make a very favorable impression on someone. For example, Winning first prize knocked her off her feet, or With his little gifts and gallant behavior, he swept her off her feet, or That fine speech carried him off his feet. The term using sweep dates from about 1900, carry from the mid-1800s, and knock from the early 1900s.

2. run or rush someone off his or her feet . Work someone to the point of exhaustion, hurry or pressure someone, as in With all the preparations, they've been running me off my feet, or The waiters were rushed off their feet. These hyperbolic expressions allude to running or hurrying so much that one falls down. The first dates from the mid-1800s; the second was first recorded as rushed off one's legs in 1916.

sweep someone off their feet

COMMON

1. If someone sweeps you off your feet, you fall in love with them very quickly and strongly. By the end of the date he said he was going to marry me. I was swept off my feet. He is a good fifteen years older than Felicity. He swept her off her feet, though.

2. If something sweeps you off your feet, you immediately like it very much. When she first saw a photograph of a romantic-looking house dating back to 1770, she was swept off her feet by its charm. Ten British chefs plan to cook a feast they hope will sweep the French off their feet.

sweep someone off their feet

quickly and overpoweringly charm someone.

sweep somebody off their ˈfeet

attract somebody very strongly because you are exciting, charming, etc: She’s waiting for a nice young man to come and sweep her off her feet. ♢ I was swept off my feet by her wit and charm.

sweep (someone) off (someone's) feet

To cause someone to be admiring or infatuated.

sweep off one's feet, to

To overwhelm; to carry away with enthusiasm. This metaphor suggests knocking a person down, or at least sideways, in the process of making an impression. The term, also put as to carry someone off his feet, dates from the nineteenth century. Clarence Day used it in The Crow’s Nest (1921): “You can’t sweep other people off their feet if you can’t be swept off your own.”