keel over
Faint without warning
To keel over is to fall down suddenly, typically from illness, exhaustion, or death: He keeled over from a heart attack.
The phrase comes from ships—a vessel that keels over capsizes, rolling onto its keel (the bottom structural beam).
The image of sudden collapse carries into human use: I thought I was going to keel over from the heat.
Lose consciousness briefly
- swoonLose consciousness briefly
- lose consciousnessBecome unaware, unresponsive
- blackoutComplete power loss
- syncopeTemporary loss of consciousness
drop · lightheaded · dizzy · vertigo · vasovagal · collapse · go limp · out cold
Cause to fall
- fallDescend under gravity
- dropFall or release
- crumpleCompress into irregular folds
- buckleFrame-and-prong fastener
give way · tumble · pitch forward · slump · go down · cave in · fold · stumble
Exclamation of hostile dismissal
- expireCease to be valid
- sudden deathInstant-win tiebreaker format
- heart attackBlocked blood to muscle
- cardiac arrestAbrupt cessation of circulation
stroke · fatal · succumb · perish · give up the ghost · croak · buy the farm · kick the bucket
Sudden structural failure
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
- spentExhausted or disbursed
- drainedEmptied of resources
- worn outDepleted through overuse
fatigued · overexertion · heat stroke · dehydration · wiped out · knackered · dead on feet · give out
Quick turning motion
- hull breachOuter shell compromised
- pitchpoleBow-first capsize
- founderOne who begins something
- swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
upend · heel · list · roll · turtle · broach · swamped · waterlogged
Shocked into speechlessness
- staggeredShocked or unevenly spaced
- flooredOverwhelmed by surprise
- taken abackShocked into momentary confusion
- overwhelmedDefeated by sheer volume
gobsmacked · flabbergasted · speechless · reeling · thunderstruck · dumbfounded · shell-shocked · blindsided
pass out
Lose consciousness briefly
- swoonLose consciousness briefly
- lose consciousnessBecome unaware, unresponsive
- blackoutComplete power loss
syncope · drop · lightheaded · dizzy · vertigo · vasovagal · collapse · go limp · out cold · insensible
topple
Cause to fall
buckle · give way · tumble · pitch forward · slump · go down · cave in · fold · stumble · lurch
drop dead
Exclamation of hostile dismissal
- expireCease to be valid
- sudden deathInstant-win tiebreaker format
- heart attackBlocked blood to muscle
cardiac arrest · stroke · fatal · succumb · perish · give up the ghost · croak · buy the farm · kick the bucket
collapse
Sudden structural failure
worn out · fatigued · overexertion · heat stroke · dehydration · wiped out · knackered · dead on feet · give out · succumb
flip
Quick turning motion
- hull breachOuter shell compromised
- pitchpoleBow-first capsize
- founderOne who begins something
swamp · upend · heel · list · roll · turtle · broach · swamped · waterlogged · seaworthy
stunned
Shocked into speechlessness
- staggeredShocked or unevenly spaced
- flooredOverwhelmed by surprise
- taken abackShocked into momentary confusion
overwhelmed · gobsmacked · flabbergasted · speechless · reeling · thunderstruck · dumbfounded · shell-shocked · blindsided · rocked
- Nautical Idiomsbatten down the hatches, all hands on deck, smooth sailing, three sheets to the wind, in the same boat
- collapsecollapse, cave in, cave-in, fall in, give way
- downward motionsfall, drop, descend, plunge, sink
- exhaustionexhaustion, burn out, drained, spent, tired
- disruptdisrupt, disturb, upset, disorder, disorganize