Never say die.
Never say die.
Meaning in plain English
Keep room for another attempt when a setback makes a worthwhile purpose seem finished. The expression encourages perseverance, without forbidding rest, changing course or accepting that an undertaking may need to end.
Example
After a poorly attended reading event, the organisers try a smaller session at a different time instead of immediately abandoning the whole programme.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The emphatic expression resists declaring the effort over at the first discouragement. A useful reading asks whether the purpose still matters and whether another approach, more time or support makes continuing reasonable. Persistence need not repeat exactly what has failed. A pause or a smaller step can preserve an intention while responding to the actual difficulty. The phrase becomes unhelpful if it treats every ending as weakness or demands effort without regard to cost and capacity. It is an encouragement to reconsider a premature conclusion, rather than a guarantee of success or a rule that no limit should ever be accepted.
When to use it
Use it when discouragement may be closing a worthwhile possibility too soon.
Keep in mind
Respect rest,resources and legitimate endings; perseverance should remain proportionate to the purpose.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 421 · Die
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
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