it's all over with him
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
He's finished, he can't go any farther, he's "shot his bolt." Said also of one who has been given up by the doctors.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “it's all over with him” mean?
He's finished, he can't go any farther, he's "shot his bolt." Said also of one who has been given up by the doctors.
Is “it's all over with him” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.