sink or swim
To succeed through one's own efforts without support, or else fail completelyTo succeed through one's own efforts without support, or else fail completely.
» No one on board the sinking ship could swim.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To succeed through one's own efforts without support, or else fail completely.
па́н и́ли пропа́лpán íli propál
Examples
4 sentencesNo one on board the sinking ship could swim.
It was sink or swim with me.
The situation has come to the point where we either sink or swim.
ruСитуация стала такой, что или пан или пропал. — odexed
Do not use this product near a bathtub, sink, shower, swimming pool, or anywhere else where water or moisture are present.
ruНе используйте данное изделие вблизи ванной, раковины, душа, бассейна или в любом другом месте, где присутствуют вода и влага. — odexed
deDieses Produkt nicht in der Nähe der Badewanne, des Waschbeckens, des Schwimmbeckens oder sonst irgendwo, wo Wasser oder Feuchtigkeit vorhanden sind, verwenden. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Translations
3 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
Possibly from the practice of throwing a suspected witch into water.Possibly from the practice of throwing a suspected witch into water.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
sinks or swims, sinking or swimming, sank or swam, sunk or swum| Base form | sink or swim · to sink or swim |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | sinks or swims |
| Present participle | sinking or swimming |
| Past simple | sank or swam |
| Past participle | sunk or swum |
irregular · Lesson
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle