ENGLISH
REFERENCE

either do or die

idiom
Meaning

To act with sufficient urgency to result in either immediate success or immediate failure.


Origin

disputed origin

An ultimatory verbal phrase composed of the words: either, do, or, and die.

Examples
SIMPLE

It is do or die for our team in this final game.

CONTEXTUAL

With the deadline only an hour away, it was do or die for the team to finish the project.

COMPLEX

Facing total bankruptcy, the entrepreneur realized it was a situation of do or die, forcing him to take one final, desperate risk.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    cross my heart and hope to die

    Added to a promise or a statement to show how serious one was about being honest in what one said

  2. 02

    die a thousand deaths

    To suffer repeatedly (often mentally rather than physically); to suffer extreme embarrassment or anxiety.

  3. 03

    die down

    To become less virulent or strong; to subside.

  4. 04

    die hard

    Of a living being, to die only after a desperate struggle for life.

  5. 05

    die in harness

    Of a person, to pass away before retirement.

  6. 06

    die on one's arse

    To fail completely.

  7. 07

    die on the vine

    To fail at an early stage or never come to fruition, typically due to neglect, infeasibility, or lack of resources.

  8. 08

    die out

    To become extinct.

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