Never say die
CulturalExplanation
If you have a never-say-die attitude, you don't give up or get discouraged, no matter what. People love a never-say-die spirit because it describes people or teams that just don’t quit. Unless they die, then they can’t say it anymore. A never-say-die soldier keeps on fighting even when the situation is scary and dangerous. Someone with a never-say-die attitude about winning a game will keep on playing hard even when they’re losing by a lot. You can also use this phrase to encourage someone who's feeling hopeless — a football coach might call to his struggling team, "Never-say-die!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Goonies never say die, not because they’re invincible, but because they refuse to go it alone.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2025
In 2016, Michael Bisping became the UFC's middleweight champion, after refusing to be denied time and again, in a never say die narrative which had turned the Lancastrian into a folk hero.
From BBC • May 10, 2022
On Capitol Hill, immigration issues never say die.
From Slate • Feb. 20, 2015
“Nothing’s over. I never say die for anything. Do you ever quit on anything?”
From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2014
I was soon wet to the skin, but I trudged on, saying to myself every now and then You're a Scotchman, never say die.
From The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825 by Sellar, Gordon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
