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Lean over backwards

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Lean over backwards means to make extraordinary efforts, often excessively, to accommodate or please others; in narrative poetry, it illustrates self-sacrifice, diplomatic strain, or the tension between generosity and personal boundaries.

Detailed Definition
Lean over backwards means to make an exceptional effort to help, accommodate, please, or be fair, often beyond what is reasonable. In poetry, it can describe generosity, self-sacrifice, social performance, or the strain of trying too hard to maintain peace. The physical image implies contortion, making kindness appear bodily costly. A poet may use it admiringly for patience, or critically when accommodation becomes self-erasure. It is useful in poems about family duty, diplomacy, service, love, and unequal emotional labour.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic poem might say the kind innkeeper leaned over backwards to please every impossible guest; In social verse, a mother leans over backwards to keep peace in the family; The phrase means to make great effort, often more than is reasonable; A poet can use it to show generosity or exhaustion.
Additional Notes
Lean over backwards is a variant of bend over backwards, meaning make exceptional effort to help or accommodate. The bodily image is one of strain and unnatural posture. In poetry, it can show generosity, servility, emotional labour, or the exhausting desire to please. Students should notice that the phrase may praise kindness or criticise imbalance. It pairs well with balance, spines, contortion, hospitality, and unequal relationships.
Also Known As
make great effort
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