certain death; many deaths
Literary or formal term for a situation where death is almost certain, or for a great number of deaths. Often used in set phrases like 万死に一生を得る (barely escape death).
He went to the battlefield prepared for certain death.
万死に一生を得た思いだ。
I feel like I barely escaped death.
narrow escape from death; advancing in the face of death
Compound of 万 (ten thousand, myriad) and 死 (death), literally 'ten thousand deaths'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a common Chinese-derived pattern for expressing extremity.