Roll over and play dead Meaning in English
expression
释义
Literally, to lie down and pretend to be dead, like some animals do. Figuratively, it means to give up or stop resisting without a fight.
用法与细微差别
Often informal and figurative, used to criticize someone for giving up too easily or not standing up for themselves. In pet training, it's a literal trick ('roll over and play dead'). Not as common in formal writing.
例句
The dog learned to roll over and play dead on command.
basic
Don't just roll over and play dead when things get tough.
basic
Sometimes, it is safer to roll over and play dead in dangerous situations.
basic
He just rolled over and played dead instead of fighting for his rights.
natural
Whenever there's a problem, don't just roll over and play dead—stand up for yourself.
natural
I can't believe the team just rolled over and played dead after one setback.
natural