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Glite Dictionary
do-or-die

do-or-die

2 7.2
Willing to do anything to succeed when the situation is urgent
  • adjective
  • /duː ɔr daɪ/
  • Informal
translation icon : de vida o muerte
  • However, let there be truth in light, but solution and peace will follow in human forgiveness! 'Do or Die', 'Do and Die'—both situations must be avoided in a new kind of politics: "Do and live long with us all" of this generation.
  • a do-or-die game
  • do-or-die time

Examples

  • This country is a do-or-die country.

    Blog text (17)

  • Pro football has its do-or-die single-elimination playoffs, and college football relies on democracy and math to populate its championship game.

    Blog text (18)

  • West Covina, facing a do-or-die scenario to make the playoffs, defeated Rowland 28-7 on a wild night in the Hacienda League on Thursday.

    Blog text (6)

  • In a world where people can't seem to make the simplest of relationships work and the slightest emotional commitment is considered devastating, Mickey and Mallory have a do-or-die romance of Shakespearian magnitude.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In a do-or-die match, the players gave everything they had to win.

  • This test is a do-or-die moment for her; she knows she must pass to graduate.

  • The final seconds of the game created a do-or-die atmosphere, pushing everyone to their limits.

Synonyms

desperate
vsdo-or-die
194 4.1

Taking big risks because there are no other options

expresses a deliberate choice to risk or sacrifice to succeed
whatever it takes
vsdo-or-die
101 5.2

Willing to do anything needed to reach a goal, however hard

shows the same willingness but tied to urgent risky sacrifice
life and death
vsdo-or-die
95 4.6

A very serious situation where someone may not survive

is about taking extreme risks to win rather than describing severity
life-or-death
vsdo-or-die
28 6.7

A very serious situation that may cause death if you do not act

focuses on choosing extreme action to secure success
do or die
vsdo-or-die
  • Informal
4 6.7

A situation when you must succeed because failure is not allowed

has identical meaning but appears as a hyphenated expression
never-say-die
vsdo-or-die
  • Informal
2 7.4

A person who shows strong hope and refuses to give up

is about urgent willingness to sacrifice or risk not mere persistence

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

carefree
41 2.9

Not feeling worried or responsible

How Determined

do-or-die
  • Informal
2 7.2
single-minded
15 4.4
resolute
21 4.9
determined
399 2.5
willing
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

do-or-die positive

Morphology

do-or-die = do + die (semi-transparent) = do + die

The literal components 'do' and 'die' are clear, but the idiomatic sense 'requiring desperate action or risk' is an intensified, conventionalized meaning not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Do-or-die comes from a hard old battle cry that meant do 'do this' or die 'die', telling people to act now or face death. So a do-or-die attitude today means you are ready to take any risk or make any sacrifice to succeed when the situation is urgent.