"put the pedal to the metal" meaning in English

See put the pedal to the metal in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-put the pedal to the metal.ogg Forms: puts the pedal to the metal [present, singular, third-person], putting the pedal to the metal [participle, present], put the pedal to the metal [participle, past], put the pedal to the metal [past]
Etymology: Mid-1970s, originated in car racing. Head templates: {{en-verb|put<,,put> the pedal to the metal}} put the pedal to the metal (third-person singular simple present puts the pedal to the metal, present participle putting the pedal to the metal, simple past and past participle put the pedal to the metal)
  1. (idiomatic) To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent. Tags: idiomatic Categories (topical): Automotive Synonyms: floor it, redline, put pedal to the metal Related terms: pedal to the metal, balls to the wall
    Sense id: en-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal-en-verb-z-4tD73c Disambiguation of Automotive: 78 22 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English predicates, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with French translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 64 36 Disambiguation of English predicates: 70 30 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 63 37 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 50 50
  2. (by extension) To exert maximum effort. Tags: broadly Synonyms: go all out
    Sense id: en-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal-en-verb-cDjjAOCw Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with French translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 44 56 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 50 50
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Translations (make a rapid accelleration): sparke sømmet i bund (Danish), mettre le pied au plancher (French), mettre les gaz (French)
Disambiguation of 'make a rapid accelleration': 55 45

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "Mid-1970s, originated in car racing.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "puts the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "putting the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "put the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "put the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "put<,,put> the pedal to the metal"
      },
      "expansion": "put the pedal to the metal (third-person singular simple present puts the pedal to the metal, present participle putting the pedal to the metal, simple past and past participle put the pedal to the metal)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Automotive",
          "orig": "en:Automotive",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: give it the gun"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Loyd E. Hill, Marvin R. Query, Reap the Wild Seeds, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 74:",
          "text": "I released the brakes, smashed the clutch and switched the transmission case into low gear, then put the pedal to the metal again throwing the car into what is known as a “moonshine spin”.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent."
      ],
      "id": "en-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal-en-verb-z-4tD73c",
      "links": [
        [
          "gas pedal",
          "gas pedal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "pedal to the metal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "balls to the wall"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "floor it"
        },
        {
          "word": "redline"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "89 11",
          "word": "put pedal to the metal"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "44 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Donna Carter, 10 Smart Things Women Can Do to Build a Better Life, Harvest House Publishers, →ISBN, page 22:",
          "text": "There are times for all of us when we have to put the pedal to the metal. Businesspeople and students have deadlines. Parents have periods of time when they don't get breaks because their partners are unavailable or they have no partners.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To exert maximum effort."
      ],
      "id": "en-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal-en-verb-cDjjAOCw",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To exert maximum effort."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all out"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-put the pedal to the metal.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "sparke sømmet i bund"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "mettre le pied au plancher"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 45",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "mettre les gaz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "put the pedal to the metal"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English rhyming phrases",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "en:Automotive"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Mid-1970s, originated in car racing.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "puts the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "putting the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "put the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "put the pedal to the metal",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "put<,,put> the pedal to the metal"
      },
      "expansion": "put the pedal to the metal (third-person singular simple present puts the pedal to the metal, present participle putting the pedal to the metal, simple past and past participle put the pedal to the metal)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "pedal to the metal"
    },
    {
      "word": "balls to the wall"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: give it the gun"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Loyd E. Hill, Marvin R. Query, Reap the Wild Seeds, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 74:",
          "text": "I released the brakes, smashed the clutch and switched the transmission case into low gear, then put the pedal to the metal again throwing the car into what is known as a “moonshine spin”.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "gas pedal",
          "gas pedal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To press the gas pedal to the maximum extent."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "floor it"
        },
        {
          "word": "redline"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Donna Carter, 10 Smart Things Women Can Do to Build a Better Life, Harvest House Publishers, →ISBN, page 22:",
          "text": "There are times for all of us when we have to put the pedal to the metal. Businesspeople and students have deadlines. Parents have periods of time when they don't get breaks because their partners are unavailable or they have no partners.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To exert maximum effort."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) To exert maximum effort."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all out"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-put the pedal to the metal.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/54/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/En-au-put_the_pedal_to_the_metal.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "put pedal to the metal"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "sparke sømmet i bund"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "mettre le pied au plancher"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "make a rapid accelleration",
      "word": "mettre les gaz"
    }
  ],
  "word": "put the pedal to the metal"
}

Download raw JSONL data for put the pedal to the metal meaning in English (3.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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