never say die

never say die idiom
Don't ever give up, do not despair, as in This stage set doesn't look too promising, but never say die, it may still work out. This maxim today is often used ironically and deprecatingly, for something that has already failed. [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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