come hell or high water

English

Etymology

In reference to the dangers of hell and stormy seas or floods.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adverb

come hell or high water

1. (slang, idiomatic, somewhat vulgar) Regardless of the hardships; no matter what difficulties may arise.

   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

• come what may
• rain or shine
• no matter what

Antonyms

• Lord willing and the creek don't rise

Translations

regardless of the hardships — see also come what may,‎ rain or shine,‎ no matter what

• 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)