Meaning & use
come what come may
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseliteraryold-fashioned
Whatever happens; used to say you will keep to your decision or keep going despite any difficulty.
Grammar: It stands alone or at the start or end of a sentence, with no subject or object.
Patterns
- come what come may, ...
- ..., come what come may
Come what come may, she said she would finish the race.
I have made my choice, and come what come may, I will stand by it.
Come what come may, the team will keep training every morning.
Common combinations
- come what may
- Come what may, we will be there to help.
- whatever happens
- Whatever happens, keep calm and carry on.
- stand by a decision
- He stood by his decision even when it was unpopular.
Synonyms and how they differ
- come what may
- The everyday modern version of this saying; use it in almost any situation.
- whatever happens
- A plainer, neutral phrase with the same meaning; it is not literary.
Commonly confused: come what come may or come what may?
come what come may vs come what may
This is the usual modern form; 'come what come may' is an older, more literary variant.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is a fixed expression meaning 'whatever happens', and it is followed by a normal main clause. Option 1 has faulty grammar ('will to keep'), option 2 is missing an article, and option 3 has the wrong verb form after 'will'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “come what come may”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.