die-die

English

Etymology

Reduplication of die and a calque of Malay mati-matian (“desperately; with all one's might”), itself a reduplication of mati (“to die”).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ(˦) ˈdaɪ(˦)/

Adverb

die-die (not comparable)

1. (Singlish) No matter what, absolutely, even if one dies trying; emphasizes urgency, necessity or commitment.
   • 2004 December 12, Colin Goh, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L14:

     When we’ve something to say […] we will die-die find the most compelling way to say it to our intended audience.

   • 2006 August 13, Teo Pau Lin, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L24:

     [O]nly about 100 [hawker] stalls got his highest ranking of “die, die must try”.

   • 2024 October 18, Andre Frois, “Why Elderly Parents ‘Die Die’ Won’t See the Doctor”, in ricemedia.co‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 December 2024:

     My dad’s reluctance to seek medical care isn’t unique. In fact, only a third of older adults here have a regular family doctor, which leads to delayed diagnoses and missed opportunities to catch serious conditions early.

Usage notes

Unlike no matter what, die-die is never placed at the end of a sentence, or anywhere after the verb it modifies.