to stick at nothing

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

To be heedless of all obstacles in accomplishing one's desire; to be utterly unscrupulous.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “to stick at nothing” mean?

To be heedless of all obstacles in accomplishing one's desire; to be utterly unscrupulous.

Is “to stick at nothing” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.