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come hell or high water. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
come hell or high water, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
come hell or high water in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
come hell or high water you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
In reference to the dangers of hell and stormy seas.
Pronunciation
Adverb
come hell or high water
- (idiomatic) Regardless of the hardships.
The pioneers were determined to build a community in the wilderness come hell or high water.
1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 1:Her crew knew that deep in her heart beat engines fit and able to push her blunt old nose ahead at a sweet fourteen knots, come Hell or high water.
Usage notes
Only used in the subjunctive mood (in anticipation of some intended action).
Synonyms
Translations
- Danish: med djævelens vold og magt (literally “by the devil's violence and might”), koste hvad det være (literally “cost what it may”)
- Dutch: wat er zich ook voordoet
- Finnish: kävi miten kävi
- French: coûte que coûte (fr), à tout prix (fr), quoi qu’il arrive
- German: koste es was es wolle
- Hungarian: tűzön-vízen át, ha esik, ha fúj
- Italian: cascasse il cielo, cascasse il mondo, succeda quel che succeda
- Japanese: 雨が降ろうと槍が降ろうと (literally “whether rain falls or spears fall”), 雨が降ろうが槍が降ろうが
- Polish: no equivalent term in Polish, but see choćby się waliło i paliło, żeby się waliło i paliło
- Portuguese: faça chuva ou faça sol
- Russian: во что́ бы то ни ста́ло (ru) (vo štó by to ni stálo)
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