# for dear life

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/for-dear-life
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Desperately.

## Examples

- He held onto the rope for dear life.
- The small boat rocked violently in the storm, so the passengers held onto the railings for dear life.
- As the mountain path crumbled beneath his boots, he clutched the jagged rock face for dear life until the rescue team arrived.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.