English Explanatory Dictionary

go for broke

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To wager everything.
  2. To try everything possible or do every last thing possible in a final attempt.

Pronunciation

en-au-go for broke.ogg

Word forms

go for broke goes for broke going for broke went for broke gone for broke

Etymology

From Hawaiian Pidgin craps slang, meaning “to wager everything on one roll”: one would be broke, i.e. bankrupt, if one lost. Popularized by the movie Go for Broke! (1951), which is named for the 442nd Infantry Regiment’s unit motto.

Related words

go all out go for it go for the burn here goes nothing
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