all-or-nothing
all-or-nothing — adjective
1. describing a plan, attitude, or situation that allows only total success or tota
describing a plan, attitude, or situation that allows only total success or total refusal, with no partial result in between.
The coach rejected our half-finished plan because she wanted an all-or-nothing attack.
all-or-nothing + noun for a high-risk strategy
For Mei's parents, moving abroad was an all-or-nothing choice, not a trial year.
all-or-nothing choice with no temporary option
The investor made an all-or-nothing bet on one small game studio.
Their all-or-nothing contract offered a full refund only if every target was met.
By noon, the negotiation felt all-or-nothing, with either side ready to walk away.
- uncompromising
broader; can describe a person's standards without the total-success-or-failure pattern
- winner-take-all
closer in competitive or financial settings where one side gets everything
- high-risk
emphasizes danger, while all-or-nothing also stresses the lack of a middle outcome
文法句型
an all-or-nothing approach
an all-or-nothing choice
be all-or-nothing
用法筆記
Often modifies nouns such as approach, choice, bet, or contract. When it follows be, it usually describes a situation with no compromise, not a person's general character.
常見錯誤
all-or-nothing — idiom
1. if someone is all-or-nothing, they either throw themselves fully into an activit
if someone is all-or-nothing, they either throw themselves fully into an activity or decide it is not worth doing at all.
Ryo is all-or-nothing about marathon training, so he never skips the long run.
be all-or-nothing about + activity
When Zola cooks for guests, she goes all-or-nothing and makes five dishes.
go all-or-nothing in a personal project
After one weak rehearsal, the band turned all-or-nothing and booked extra studio time.
Joshua becomes all-or-nothing whenever exam week gets close and stops sleeping enough.
Christopher refused the half-day hike because he felt all-or-nothing about mountain trips.
- wholeheartedly
focuses on strong effort, without the idea of refusing partial involvement
- single-minded
emphasizes focus on one goal, not the do-it-fully-or-not-at-all pattern
- extreme
broader and can describe opinions or behaviour that go too far
文法句型
be all-or-nothing about something
go all-or-nothing
become all-or-nothing
用法筆記
Usually describes a person's way of working, training, or making decisions. Distinguish from the adjective sense — this idiom focuses on how someone commits to an activity, while the adjective sense usually labels a plan, option, or outcome.