Stop at nothing

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

Stop at nothing means to be ruthless or relentless in achieving a goal, regardless of moral or practical constraints; in tragic poetry, it depicts obsession, ambition, or the destructive pursuit of desire.

Detailed Definition
Stop at nothing means to pursue a goal without restraint, scruple, or willingness to accept limits. In poetry, the idiom can describe ambition, revenge, love, tyranny, survival, or obsession. It may sound heroic when the goal is rescue or justice, but frightening when morality is sacrificed. A poet may use it to explore determination pushed beyond conscience. The phrase is useful for examining the boundary between admirable commitment and destructive extremity, especially where desire turns all obstacles into enemies.
Example
Example in poetry:
A villain poem might say the usurper will stop at nothing to wear the crown; In a love ballad, the desperate speaker stops at nothing and loses honour; The phrase means to pursue a goal without moral limits; A poet can use it for obsession and danger.
Additional Notes
Stop at nothing means be willing to do anything, often ruthlessly, to achieve an aim. In poetry, it can characterise ambition, revenge, obsession, political power, or desperate love. The phrase removes moral boundaries, making desire frighteningly absolute. Students should ask whether determination has become monstrous. It pairs well with roads without gates, broken laws, sleepless pursuit, and the tragic cost of a will that recognises no limit.
Also Known As
determined
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