Idiom
jump the gun
Meanings
To act or decide too early; to start before the proper time.
To assume something is true and act on it before confirming the facts.
Definition
To jump the gun means to act too soon, before the right time or before you have enough information.
If you jump the gun, you do something earlier than you should, often because you are impatient or excited. This can cause mistakes or problems because the situation is not ready yet. People use it for plans, decisions, announcements, and actions that should wait.
Examples
- I think we jumped the gun by booking flights before the dates were confirmed.
- Don’t jump the gun and send the email until everyone approves the final draft.
- She jumped the gun and congratulated him before the results were official.
- We jumped the gun and started painting, but the walls weren’t repaired yet.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use it to mean “act quickly,” but it specifically means acting too early, before the right time.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.