English · Phrasal verb Candidate

game over

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A message signaling that the game has ended, usually because the player failed (for example by losing all of their lives) but sometimes following successful completion of the game.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Thông báo tín hiệu rằng trò chơi đã kết thúc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Before I could figure out what the hell was the object of the game, I hear the thing go boom-boom, and the screen lights up with a sign: game over.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The end of some ongoing situation, especially in failure.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Kết thúc một tình huống đang diễn ra, đặc biệt là thất bại

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Death.

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “game over” mean?

A message signaling that the game has ended, usually because the player failed (for example by losing all of their lives) but sometimes following successful completion of the game.

Is “game over” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.