Dice with death
Meaning
To engage in extremely dangerous activities where there is a high risk of being killed.
Origin
The vivid phrase "dice with death" paints a picture of fate being rolled like a gambler's dice, with the ultimate stake being one's life. While the verb "to dice" has meant to gamble or take chances since the 16th century, its dramatic coupling with "death" became a powerful and popular idiom in the early 20th century. It draws directly from the high-stakes world of gambling where every roll could mean ruin, applying that ultimate, unpredictable risk to human existence itself, capturing the essence of confronting extreme peril where survival is left to pure chance.
Examples
- The mountaineer knew he was dicing with death as he attempted the treacherous solo ascent.
- Ignoring the safety warnings, the stunt performer continued to dice with death for the roaring crowd.