rather die than submit; unyielding
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
would rather die than surrender or yield; prefer death to submission
formalUsed to describe heroic or principled refusal to submit under threat or torture. Often carries a commendatory tone.
Gé革
mìng命
liè烈
shì士
nìng宁
sǐ死
bù不
qū屈
，
shǒu守
zhù住
le了
dǎng党
de的
mì秘
mì密
。
The revolutionary martyrs would rather die than surrender, keeping the Party's secrets safe.
Miàn面
duì对
dí敌
rén人
de的
yán严
xíng刑
kǎo拷
dǎ打
，
tā他
shǐ始
zhōng终
nìng宁
sǐ死
bù不
qū屈
。
Faced with the enemy's severe torture, he remained unyielding and would rather die than submit.
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Zhè这
zhǒng种
nìng宁
sǐ死
bù不
qū屈
de的
jīng精
shén神
zhí值
de得
wǒ我
men们
yǒng永
yuǎn远
xué学
xí习
。
This spirit of preferring death to surrender is worth our eternal study.