to die for
28
7.9
- idiom
- /tə daɪ fɔr/
- Informal
:
para morirse
- I bet the view's to die for.
- desserts to die for
- view to die for
- dress to die for
I can't Oh, that is actually to die for.
- I can't Oh, that is actually to die for.
- Oh, these look to die for.
Examples
-
And we have an art department to die for.
-
Our pizza is to die for...
-
I bet it is to die for.
-
That stuff is to die for!
-
And the house was to die for; there was no question of that.
Fiction book (1995) -
I had one at my local farmers' market, and it was to die for.
Blog text (20) -
The Caesar salad is to die for.
-
In fact, she makes whole wheat pancakes that are to die for as well.
Blog text (22) -
And I must say, that's a dress to die for.
Fiction book (1994) -
The food here is to die for.
Synonyms
121
3.2
Worth having because many people want it
36
2.9
Wanted by many people
12
4.4
Likely to make other people feel jealous
5
4.1
Wanted by many people
1
4.4
Wanted by many people because it is rare or special
1
6.1
Wanted by many people because it looks attractive or is valuable
Antonyms
How Desirable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase uses a hyperbolic, non-literal sense of 'die' to express extreme desirability, so its evaluative meaning is not simply the sum of 'die' + 'for'. A B1 learner might guess it signals strong intensity, but the exact sense 'so good one would go to great lengths' is idiomatic and requires exposure, making it only partially predictable.
Etymology
To die for may come from an old way of saying something was 'worth dying for'. Imagine someone so eager for a thing they'd risk their life to get it, and that's why today to die for means 'extremely desirable'.