Question

‘Defending to the last breath’ means _____.
(a) Refusing to yield before the enemy attack.
(b) Trying to save somebody from an attack of breathlessness.
(c) Sacrificing one’s own life for defending positions on the battlefront.
(d) Desperately defending or supporting arguments or points of view.

Answer 1

Hint:Read the statement and try to decipher what it conveys. Now carefully examine the given options and figure out what each of them describes the statement best before choosing the most suitable answer.

Complete answer: An idiom refers to a phrase or a group of words that indicate a metaphorical meaning in comparison to the literal meaning of its words.
‘Defending to the last breath’ refers to defending or supporting other people in quarrels and disagreements.
The given idiom has been derived from the drama Henry IV; a play written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century.
We know the meaning and the origin of the idiom. Now, let’s look at its usage-
For example- The king vowed to defend his kingdom to the last breath. Here, we can conclude that the king vowed to support or protect his people until his last breath or death.
Let’s decipher the meaning of the given options-
(a) Refusing to yield before the enemy attack- It is an incorrect option because the context doesn’t talk about battles or war.
(b) Trying to save somebody from an attack of breathlessness- It is an incorrect option because idioms do not refer to the literal meaning of its words.
(c) Sacrificing one’s own life for defending positions on the battlefront- It is an incorrect option because it is different in meaning to the context of the idiom.
(d) Desperately defending or supporting arguments or points of view- It is the correct option because it justifies the idiom.
The correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note: Proverbs reflect the figurative meaning rather than the literal meaning of its words. There can be slight reference or similarity between the literal and intended meaning of the proverbs.