九きゅう死し一いっ生しょう

noun

narrow escape from death; barely surviving a life-threatening situation

A yojijukugo (four-character idiom) used when someone survives a situation where death seemed almost certain. Often used in phrases like 九死一生を得る or 九死一生の思いをする.

• 彼かれはその事じ故こで九きゅう死し一いっ生しょうの思おもいをした。

  He had a narrow escape from death in that accident.

• 九きゅう死し一いっ生しょうを得えて、彼かれは人じん生せい観かんが変かわった。

  Having barely escaped death, his outlook on life changed.