to-die-for
to-die-for
UK[tə ˈdaɪ fɔː]US[tə ˈdaɪ fɔːr]
adj
extremely good or desirable; worth any sacrifice
Morpheme Breakdown
to
die
for
to
die
for
Etymology
The phrase "to die for" originates from the hyperbolic English idiom expressing that something is so desirable one would be willing to die to obtain it. It is a calque, or literal translation, of the French phrase "à mourir," which carries the same figurative meaning. The grammatical structure is a prepositional infinitive phrase ("to die") followed by the preposition "for," which grammatically attaches the phrase to a noun (e.g., "a cake to die for"). By the late 20th century, this colloquial idiom solidified into a hyphenated compound adjective, directly importing the vivid, exaggerated logic of the original expression to describe anything considered supremely excellent.
Analysis
Structure: to + die + for
- to (Old English): A preposition used here to form an infinitive phrase.
- die (Old English): A verb meaning to cease living.
- for (Old English): A preposition meaning for the sake of, or in order to obtain.
Examples
She baked a to-die-for chocolate cake that was the highlight of the party.
They just bought a house with a to-die-for view of the ocean.
The critic described the actor's performance as absolutely to-die-for.