Never say die
Never give up.
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Never say die
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never say die
never say dieDon't ever give up, do not despair, as in This stage set doesn't look too promising, but never say die, it may still work out. This maxim today is often used ironically and deprecatingly, for something that has already failed. [Early 1800s]
Never say die
Cultural
never say die
Idioms
Explanation
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.
See Examples For:
"Never say die, simple as that," said Detroit's Cade Cunningham, who top scored in the match with 32 points.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
“Ha, ha! Never say die, take a pinch of snuff, goodbye, goodbye!” squalled Polly, dancing on her perch, and clawing at the old lady’s cap as Laurie tweaked him in the rear.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
"Never say die till you are dead," she repeated, firmly fastening the Guide's smile on to her face.
From The Happy Adventurers by Lydia Miller Middleton
Each time an ambulance car, loaded with broken and nerve-shattered men, stopped by the hospital entrance, a young donkey brayed joyously from a field facing the doorway, as if to shout "Never say die!"
From Cavalry of the Clouds by Alan Bott
Never say die so long’s there a shot in the locker.
From The Lighthouse by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
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
Keep a stiff upper lip and never say die, and all that, you know.
From The Half-Back by Ralph Henry Barbour
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.
