neck or nothing

adverb

at all costs.

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Meanings

adverbneck or nothing (not comparable)

alternative nick or nothing

  1. datednot comparableat all costs.
adjectiveneck or nothing (not comparable)

alternative nick or nothing

  1. datednot comparabledo or die.

    It is a neck-or-nothing venture to wrest valuable merchandise traffic from road transport.

    1960 January, G. Freeman Allen, “"Condor"—British Railways' fastest freight train”, in Trains Illustrated, page 45

Origin

Originally a steeplechase phrase; to win by a neck or to be nowhere—i.e. not counted at all because unworthy of notice.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

neck or nothing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neck%20or%20nothing

MLA

“neck or nothing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neck%20or%20nothing. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neck or nothing,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neck%20or%20nothing.

Source: neck or nothing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.