Meaning & use
went above and beyond
Last updated
“went above and beyond” is a form of “go above and beyond”.
Meaning
phraseidiom
Did much more than was required or expected, especially to help someone.
Grammar: Past tense of 'go above and beyond'. Often followed by 'to' + infinitive or 'for' + person.
Patterns
- go above and beyond to do something
- go above and beyond for someone
- go above and beyond the call of duty
The nurse went above and beyond to make sure the patient was comfortable.
He went above and beyond for his team during the busy season.
She went above and beyond the requirements of the project and earned high praise.
Word forms
| base form | go above and beyond |
|---|---|
| third person singular | goes above and beyond |
| past tense | went above and beyond |
| past participle | gone above and beyond |
| -ing form | going above and beyond |
Common combinations
- go above and beyond the call of duty
- The firefighter went above and beyond the call of duty to save the family.
- go above and beyond expectations
- The hotel staff went above and beyond our expectations.
- go above and beyond to help
- She went above and beyond to help her colleague finish the report.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exceed
- More formal and often used with expectations or limits; 'go above and beyond' is warmer and focuses on effort for others.
- outdo
- Suggests doing better than someone else, often in a competitive way; 'go above and beyond' is not about competition.
Opposites
Word family
- above and beyond phrase
- The base phrase, meaning more than expected.
Commonly confused: went above and beyond or over and above?
went above and beyond vs over and above
Means 'in addition to', not 'more than expected'. 'Over and above the basic pay, she received a bonus.'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'went above and beyond' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is followed by 'to' + infinitive when expressing purpose. Option 1 is correct. Option 2 lacks 'to'. Option 3 uses 'for' incorrectly before a verb. Option 4 uses 'of' unnecessarily.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “went above and beyond”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.