for dear life

for dear life
adverb
as though your life was at stake
-

he was running for dear life

* * *

DESPERATELY, with all one's might, with might and main, for all one is worth, as fast/hard as possible, like the devil.
→ life

* * *

adverb
: so as to save or as if trying to save one's life : with might and main

a giant octopus … was holding on for dear life with a dozen legs — C.L.Carmer

* * *

for dear life informal phrase
using all your strength, speed, or determination in order to avoid danger or serious trouble

He clung on to the edge of the cliff for dear life.

Thesaurus: determined and ambitioussynonym
Main entry: dear

* * *

I
see life
II for dear (or one's) life
as if or in order to escape death

I clung to the tree for dear life | Sue struggled free and ran for her life

* * *

for dear life — see ↑life, 1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑dear
————————
for dear life
: very tightly or quickly because of fear or danger

He was hanging/holding on to the rope for dear life.

They were running for dear life to get away from the vicious dogs.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑life

* * *

for dear ˈlife | for your ˈlife idiom
as hard or as fast as possible

•

She was holding on to the rope for dear life.

•

Run for your life!

Main entry: ↑lifeidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • for dear life — {adv. phr.} As though afraid of losing your life. * /He was running for dear life toward town./ * /When the horse began to run, she held on for dear life./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • for dear life — {adv. phr.} As though afraid of losing your life. * /He was running for dear life toward town./ * /When the horse began to run, she held on for dear life./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • for\ dear\ life — adv. phr. As though afraid of losing your life. He was running for dear life toward town. When the horse began to run, she held on for dear life …   Словарь американских идиом

  • for dear life — to save your life, because a life is in danger    When the bear stood up on its hind legs, we ran for dear life …   English idioms

  • for dear life — as though afraid of losing one s life The mountain climber held on to the rock for dear life as he waited for someone to rescue him …   Idioms and examples

  • for dear life — we held on to the rope for dear life Syn: desperately, with all one s might, for all one is worth, as fast/hard as possible, like the devil …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • for dear life — informal using all your strength, speed, or determination in order to avoid danger or serious trouble He clung on to the edge of the cliff for dear life …   English dictionary

  • hang on to something for dear life — hang/hold on (to (something/someone)) for dear life to hold something or someone as tightly as you can in order to avoid falling. I sat behind Gary on the bike and hung on for dear life as we sped off. A rope was passed down and she held on to it …   New idioms dictionary

  • hang on to someone for dear life — hang/hold on (to (something/someone)) for dear life to hold something or someone as tightly as you can in order to avoid falling. I sat behind Gary on the bike and hung on for dear life as we sped off. A rope was passed down and she held on to it …   New idioms dictionary

  • hang on to for dear life — hang/hold on (to (something/someone)) for dear life to hold something or someone as tightly as you can in order to avoid falling. I sat behind Gary on the bike and hung on for dear life as we sped off. A rope was passed down and she held on to it …   New idioms dictionary

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