Used when someone falls down suddenly due to a loss of balance, consciousness, or strength. After running the marathon, he keeled over at the finish line.
Pro Tip 2/3
Not Literal
It can describe a sudden emotional or physical reaction, not just physical falling. She almost keeled over with laughter at the joke.
Pro Tip 3/3
Colloquial Speech
It’s casual language, may not be suitable in formal writing or serious discourse. He just keeled over during the intense video game session.