die a thousand deaths

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English

Pronunciation

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Verb

die a thousand deaths (third-person singular simple present dies a thousand deaths, present participle dying a thousand deaths, simple past and past participle died a thousand deaths)

  1. (rhetorical) To die many times over (usually as preferred over some other undesirable action or occurrence).
  2. (idiomatic) To suffer repeatedly (often mentally rather than physically); to suffer extreme embarrassment or anxiety.
    • 1735, Alexander Pope, “A letter from a nun in Portugal to a gentleman in France”, in Mr. Pope’s Literary Correspondence, volume 3, London: E. Curll, page 89:
      [] since I know no greater Pleasure than the Love of you, I should too willingly run the Risque of any Disadvantage that could happen by it. I die a thousand Deaths every Hour, and still revive, to die them over again []
    • 1884, Tamenaga Shunsui, chapter 12, in Edward Greey, Shiuichiro Saito, transl., The Loyal Ronins, New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, page 81:
      [] his enormous wealth yielded him no happiness, his suspicious soul feared a traitoress in each of his beautiful attendants, he trusted no one but his chief-councillor, Sir Small-grove, and while waiting for the just retribution he knew must sooner or later follow his crime, died a thousand deaths.
    • 1961, Dominic Behan, chapter 8, in Tell Dublin I Miss Her, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, page 79:
      As she looked in the mirror over the fireplace that she might settle her hat-pin straight, she noticed that in touching the china dog she had disturbed the mantle cloth, and in so doing had exposed her hoard of pawn-tickets. Thanks be to God I noticed that, had anyone come in I’d have died a thousand deaths.