Meanings
- idiomaticslangvulgarRegardless 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.
1 more example
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.
1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 1Synonyms: come what may, rain or shine, no matter what
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbRegardless of the hardships; no matter what difficulties may arise.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin spite of all obstacles
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
In reference to the dangers of hell and stormy seas or floods.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish med djævelens vold og magt, koste hvad det være
- med djævelens vold og magtregardless of the hardships
- koste hvad det væreregardless of the hardships
Dutch wat er zich ook voordoet
- wat er zich ook voordoetregardless of the hardships
Estonian sadagu või pussnuge
- sadagu või pussnugeregardless of the hardships
Finnish kävi miten kävi
- kävi miten käviregardless of the hardships
French coûte que coûte, à tout prix
- coûte que coûteregardless of the hardships
- à tout prixregardless of the hardships
- quoi qu'il arriveregardless of the hardships
German koste es was es wolle
- koste es was es wolleregardless of the hardships
Hungarian tűzön-vízen át, ha esik, ha fúj
- tűzön-vízen átregardless of the hardships
- ha esik, ha fújregardless of the hardships
Italian cascasse il cielo, cascasse il mondo
- cascasse il cieloregardless of the hardships
- cascasse il mondoregardless of the hardships
- succeda quel che succedaregardless of the hardships
Japanese 雨が降ろうと槍が降ろうと, 雨が降ろうが槍が降ろうが
- 雨が降ろうと槍が降ろうとregardless of the hardships
- 雨が降ろうが槍が降ろうがregardless of the hardships
Polish but see choćby się waliło i paliło, żeby się waliło i paliło
- but see choćby się waliło i paliłoregardless of the hardships
- żeby się waliło i paliłoregardless of the hardships
Portuguese faça chuva ou faça sol
- faça chuva ou faça solregardless of the hardships
Russian во что́ бы то ни ста́ло
- во что́ бы то ни ста́ло (vo štó by to ni stálo)regardless of the hardships
Swedish kosta vad det kosta vill, till varje pris
- kosta vad det kosta villregardless of the hardships
- till varje prisregardless of the hardships
Cite this entry
come hell or high water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20hell%20or%20high%20water
“come hell or high water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20hell%20or%20high%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “come hell or high water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/come%20hell%20or%20high%20water.
Source: come hell or high water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.