hell or high water n.
an intensely unpleasant experience; in different phrs. such as go through hell and high water, between hell and high water; occas. as excl.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Everybody’s Mag. June 69/2: He’ll be one of us in spite of hell and high water. | |
| in Rainbow in Morning 92: Hell and high water! | |
| Cool Customer 317: You can buy a wedding-present with it for the young lady who went through hell and high water with you. | |
| (con. 1970) 13th Valley (1983) 159: We got us a good all blowed ta hell en highwater. | |
| Green River Rising 333: You went through hell and high water, just to be with that lady of yours. |
In phrases
no matter what the circumstance.
| Misc. Doc. 42nd U.S. Congr. 2 Sess. House No. 22 I 33: They might fight him‥but he was going there in spite of hell and high water [OED]. | |
| McLure’s Mag. XVII 380: Do you, Kyle, take this woman, Loys, to have and keep track of, come hell or high water, her heirs and assigns for ever? | |
| Century XCII 619/1: For if that squaw got a sniff of things, she 'd never tell nothing, come hell or high water. | |
| Munsey’s Mag. XCIV 312/1: ‘I aim to find Penny, come hell or high water,’ announced the young man. | |
| They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? in Four Novels (1983) 84: If it was Number Two you had to do you had to rush because come hell or high water, you had only five minutes. | |
 | Aberdeen Jrnl. 10 Nov. 3/4: [He] delalred that the flow of American munitions to Russia, Britain and China must go on increasing ‘despite hell and high water’. | |
![[NZ]](/static/img/flags/nz.png "New Zealand") | For the Rest of Our Lives 76: They were going to use them, too, come hell or high water. | |
| ‘Death Ends the Scene’ Hollywood Detective May 🌐 I was determined to get [the letter] come hell or high tide. | |
| Gun in My Hand 237: I was going to have that Luger come hell or high water. | |
| Street Talk 2 189: I’m going to get a raise come hell or high water! | |
| (con. 1973) Johnny Porno 256: The mob was going to get that money back come hell or high water. |
to any extent, irrespective of any possible problems.
| (con. 1940s) Hold Tight (1990) 214: We’ll be able to tail Rice through hell and high water. |