Idiom
Come hell or high water
Come hell or high water means no matter what happens, even if there are serious problems or obstacles.
How people use it
People use it to show strong determination (I'll finish this marathon come hell or high water). It usually comes at the start or end of a sentence about a promise or plan. The tone is informal and emphatic. Because it contains the word hell, some people avoid it in formal writing or around young children, though most consider it mild. Similar phrases include no matter what and rain or shine.
Examples
- Come hell or high water, Priya is going to finish her degree this year.
- We promised the kids a beach trip, and we're going come hell or high water.
- The bakery opens at six every morning, come hell or high water.
Where it comes from
No one knows exactly where it started. The phrase appears in American English in the late 1800s and early 1900s, pairing the worst trouble imaginable with a flood. One popular idea links it to cattle drives in the American West, where cowboys pushed on through storms and swollen rivers, but there is no firm evidence for that story.
Check yourself
1. What does come hell or high water mean?
Answer: No matter what happens. The phrase shows determination to do something despite any problem.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Come hell or high water, I'm finishing this puzzle tonight.. The first shows firm determination. Canceling at the first drizzle is the opposite, and the river sentence uses the words literally.
Similar idioms
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