do-or-die
[ doo-er-dahy ]
/ ˈdu ərˈdaɪ /
adjective
reflecting or characterized by an irrevocable decision to succeed at all costs; desperate; all-out: a do-or-die attempt to halt the invaders.
involving a potentially fatal crisis or crucial emergency.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ IF A DAZZLING VOCABULARY IS YOUR DESIDERATUM!
Have the Words of the Day from October 19–25, 2020, made an indelible mark on your memory? Take the quiz to find out!
Question 1 of 7
What does “clement” mean?
Origin of do-or-die
First recorded in 1875–80
Words nearby do-or-die
doorbuster, doorcase, door chain, door charge, door check, do-or-die, doorframe, door furniture, door handle, door jack, doorjamb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for do-or-die
British Dictionary definitions for do-or-die
do-or-die
adjective
(prenominal) of or involving a determined and sometimes reckless effort to succeed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with do-or-die
do or die
Exert supreme effort because failure is close at hand, as in Carol was going to set up the computer, do or die. This hyperbolic expression in effect says one will not be deterred by any obstacle. [c. 1600]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.