to die for

Meaning

'To die for' is an informal, hyperbolic idiom used to describe something that is exceptionally excellent, desirable, or delicious. In a culinary context, it is used to praise food or drink that is so outstanding it feels worth extreme sacrifice.

Examples

• You have to try the chocolate fudge cake here; it is absolutely to die for.

  You have to try the chocolate fudge cake here; it is absolutely to die for.

• The cream sauce they serve with the steak is simply to die for.

  The cream sauce they serve with the steak is simply to die for.

• Their homemade garlic bread is to die for, so make sure you order some.

  Their homemade garlic bread is to die for, so make sure you order some.

• She makes a lemon tart that is to die for.

  She makes a lemon tart that is to die for.

• That seafood paella we had by the beach was to die for.

  That seafood paella we had by the beach was to die for.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ This soup is very to die for.

  ✓ This soup is absolutely to die for.

  'To die for' is an extreme adjective phrase. We do not modify extreme adjectives with 'very'; instead, use intensifiers like 'absolutely', 'simply', or 'just'.

• ✗ I would die for eating this pizza.

  ✓ This pizza is to die for.

  Avoid confusing the literal action of dying for something with the idiomatic adjectival phrase 'to die for'. It is placed after a linking verb (e.g., 'is to die for') or directly before a noun (e.g., 'a to-die-for dessert').

Related Expressions

Practice

• The warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream was absolutely ___.

  💡 An idiom expressing that something is incredibly delicious.

  Show answer

  to die for

• She told me that the restaurant's signature pasta dish is ___.

  💡 Three-word casual phrase meaning outstandingly good.

  Show answer

  to die for