A small brass gate in a lilac hedge with its latch held closed from inside.

Original artwork, not a still

Winston Churchill

Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker urges relentless persistence in every matter, grand or trivial, with one exception: yielding to honour and good sense. Force, and even seemingly overwhelming enemy strength, are not reasons to surrender. The repeated 'never' hammers home a stubborn, defiant resolve.

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