hilt

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borrow to the hilt

To borrow a very large amount of money or as much as one possibly can. They've had to borrow to the hilt to get their company off the ground. I hope it succeeds, or they'll be in debt forever. It's a tragedy that so many people have to borrow to the hilt in order to go to college.

dress to the hilt

To dress in a very formal or extravagant outfit, possibly one so ostentatious or grandiose as to be inappropriate. She dressed to the hilt for the wedding, wearing a gorgeous full-length gown with a large hat, a giant feather boa, and rhinestone-encrusted gloves. Tom is a quirky guy. He always dresses to the hilt, no matter where we're going or what we're doing. Like, we went to get burgers yesterday, and he came in a three-piece suit.

dressed to the hilt

Dressed in a very formal or extravagant outfit, possibly one so ostentatious or grandiose as to be inappropriate. She arrived at the wedding dressed to the hilt, wearing a gorgeous full-length gown with a large hat, a giant feather boa, and rhinestone-encrusted gloves. You could tell the guy was eager. He showed up to the interview for the internship dressed to the hilt, like he was going to meet the Queen or something.

live to the hilt

To do as much as one can or wants to in life; to pursue all of one's interests or desires to the fullest. I'm not surprised to hear that Rachel is currently backpacking through Europe. She's always been determined to live to the hilt. You can't delay your dreams because none of us know what the future will bring. You have to live to the hilt so that you can die without regrets.

play (something) to the hilt

To embody or inhabit a particular role as completely or convincingly as possible. The guy they got to be Iago really played him to the hilt. I truly believed he was evil. If I cast you, there are no half measures—you need to play the role to the hilt. I knew that they all expected me to be the villain in that situation, so I decided to play it to the hilt.

to the hilt

As much or to the greatest degree possible; completely or utterly. They've had to borrow to the hilt to get the company off the ground. We're ready to defend our client to the hilt in court.

See also: hilt, to

up to the hilt

As much or to the greatest degree possible; completely or utterly. They've had to borrow up to the hilt to get the company off the ground. We're ready to defend our client up to the hilt in court.

to the hilt

Also, up to the hilt. Completely, to the maximum degree, as in The house was mortgaged up to the hilt. This idiom alludes to the handle ( hilt) of a sword, the only portion that remains out when the weapon is plunged all the way in. The figurative use of the term was first recorded in 1687.

See also: hilt, to

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

to the hilt

up to the hilt

COMMON

1. If you do something to the hilt or up to the hilt, you do it to the greatest possible extent. He'll be a good candidate. We'll back him up to the hilt. If Fred raises this issue tomorrow, I'll defend my actions to the hilt.

2. If you borrow money to the hilt or up to the hilt, you borrow as much as possible. The company had borrowed to the hilt and still needed more capital. His father's estates were mortgaged up to the hilt. Note: The hilt of a sword or knife is its handle. The image here is of a knife or sword being pushed in all the way to the handle.

See also: hilt, to

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

(up) to the hilt

completely.

The image is that of plunging the blade of a knife deeply into something, so that only the hilt is visible.

See also: hilt, to

(up) to the ˈhilt

(support, etc. somebody) completely: I will support you to the hilt on this.

This expression refers to the full length of a sword, up to its handle (= the hilt).

See also: hilt, to

to the hilt

To the limit; completely: played the role to the hilt.

See also: hilt, to

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

up to the hilt

To the utmost. The hilt is the handle of a dagger or sword; when the weapon is plunged all the way into something, only the hilt stays out. The term, also put as to the hilt, was transferred to other kinds of extreme by the seventeenth century. “The estate was mortgaged up to the hilt,” wrote James Payn (Thicker than Water, 1883).