to grab life by the throat
- idiom
- Informal
:
aprovechar la vida al máximo
- After years of hesitation, she decided to grab life by the throat and start her own business.
Examples
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If you want to achieve your dreams, you need to grab life by the throat and take bold steps.
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She always grabs life by the throat with enthusiasm.
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He encouraged his son to grab life by the throat rather than let fear hold him back.
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You need to grab life by the throat!
-
After years of hesitation, she decided to grab life by the throat and start her own business.
-
He encouraged his son to grab life by the throat rather than let fear hold him back.
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If you want to achieve your dreams, you need to grab life by the throat and take bold steps.
Synonyms
1
6.3
Face a difficult problem directly and bravely
1
9.9
Act boldly and take control of your life
To be brave and take control of your life
Act quickly to grab an opportunity before it is lost
Antonyms
How Boldly
- Offensive
1
9.9
- Informal
- Informal
10
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
grab + life + by + the + throat
The literal constituents ('grab' = seize, 'life' = one's existence, 'throat' = a body part associated with control) create a clear physical image of forcibly taking hold of life, so a learner who knows the words can infer a figurative sense of taking strong control. However, the phrase is metaphorical and the precise nuance of "taking full advantage of opportunities" is an idiomatic extension that may not be fully predictable without prior exposure, so it is only partly transparent.
Etymology
The idiom grab life by the throat paints a clear picture: imagine you grab someone's throat to force them and take control of their life. So it means to act boldly and take strong control of your life, or 'to take full advantage of opportunities'.