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Go for broke

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To commit all of one's resources and energy to a single, high-risk endeavor, accepting the possibility of total failure in the hope of a great reward.

Detailed Definition
Go for broke means to risk everything in pursuit of success, victory, escape, or transformation. In poetry, it can heighten moments of all-or-nothing decision: a gambler stakes his last coin, a lover confesses, a rebel acts, or an artist abandons safety. The phrase carries financial risk but broadens into emotional and moral daring. It can sound heroic, reckless, desperate, or liberating. Poets can use it to explore whether courage lies in prudence or in the willingness to lose everything.
Example
Example in poetry:
A gambling poem may show the ruined player choosing to go for broke; In a heroic lyric, the rebel goes for broke at the barricade; The phrase can mean risking everything for one chance; A poet might use it when love, art, or freedom demands total commitment.
Additional Notes
Go for broke means risk everything in pursuit of success. The phrase carries gambling, military, and entrepreneurial energy, making it useful in poems about ambition, migration, love, art, and decisive action. It can be heroic or reckless. Students should ask what “broke” means in context: financial ruin, emotional exposure, social disgrace, or the stripping away of all fallback options.
Also Known As
risk all
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