Jump The Shark

Pronunciation: /dʒʌmp ðə ʃɑrk/

Definitions of jump the shark

noun a moment when something that was once popular or successful begins to decline in quality or popularity

Example Sentences

A1 I heard that the TV show 'Happy Days' famously jumped the shark in one of its later seasons.

A2 Do you think that adding a talking dog to the show was the moment it jumped the shark?

B1 Many fans believe that the introduction of a new character caused the show to jump the shark.

B2 The decision to have the main character marry a random stranger was seen as the moment the show jumped the shark.

C1 Critics argue that the show's attempt to boost ratings by introducing outlandish storylines was when it jumped the shark.

C2 The show's decline in quality was evident to viewers, signaling that it had officially jumped the shark.

verb to reach a point where something that was once popular or successful begins to decline in quality or popularity

Example Sentences

A1 The movie 'jumped the shark' when the main character started talking to animals.

A2 The TV show 'jumped the shark' in the last season when they introduced time travel.

B1 The book series 'jumped the shark' when the author decided to kill off the main character.

B2 The video game 'jumped the shark' with the release of the latest expansion pack.

C1 The band 'jumped the shark' with their latest album, which received mixed reviews from critics.

C2 The restaurant 'jumped the shark' when they changed their menu to focus on fusion cuisine.

Examples of jump the shark in a Sentence

formal The TV show's ratings began to decline after they decided to have the main character jump the shark.

informal The show really went downhill once they had that ridiculous episode where they made the character jump the shark.

slang That show totally lost me when they had that episode where they made the character jump the shark.

figurative The company's decision to change their logo seemed like a desperate attempt to jump the shark and attract younger customers.

Grammatical Forms of jump the shark

• past tense: jumped the shark
• plural: jump the sharks
• comparative: jumped the shark
• superlative: jumped the shark
• present tense: jumps the shark
• future tense: will jump the shark
• perfect tense: has jumped the shark
• continuous tense: is jumping the shark
• singular: jumps the shark
• positive degree: jumps the shark
• infinitive: to jump the shark
• gerund: jumping the shark
• participle: jumped the shark

Origin and Evolution of jump the shark

First Known Use: 1977 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'jump the shark' originated from a specific episode of the TV show Happy Days where the character Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while water skiing, marking a decline in the show's quality.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe the moment when a TV show starts to decline in quality, 'jump the shark' has evolved to be used more broadly to indicate any moment when something has reached its peak and starts to decline.