die-die en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /ˈdaɪ(˦)ˈdaɪ(˦)/ (Singapore)
Etymology
Reduplication of die and a calque of Malay mati-matian (“desperately; with all one's might”), itself a reduplication of mati (“to die”).
Meanings
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(Manglish, Singlish, not-comparable) No matter what, absolutely, even if one dies trying; emphasizes urgency, necessity or commitment.
[O]nly about 100 [hawker] stalls got his highest ranking of “die, die must try”.
2006 August 13, Teo Pau Lin, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L24: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.
2024 October 18, Andre Frois, “Why Elderly Parents ‘Die Die’ Won’t See the Doctor”, in ricemedia.co, archived from the original on 18 Dec 2024:When we’ve something to say […] we will die-die find the most compelling way to say it to our intended audience.
2004 December 12, Colin Goh, The Sunday Times, Singapore, page L14: