ruins or remains, as after destruction or burning
the city was left in ashes
the remains of a human body after cremation
from the mock obituary of English cricket in The Times in 1882 after a great Australian victory at the Oval, in which it was said that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I mention the obvious class privilege behind that moment not to cover myself in sackcloth and ashes, but on the way to a different observation.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
On Jan. 7, 2025, a monstrous fire ravaged his Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the hillside edge of the ocean, reducing his home to ashes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
In front of the cafe, 36-year-old army veteran Dmytro sipped an espresso, despite the ashes swirling around him.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
A group of grandmothers formed an unlikely friendship with a pro wrestler during an emotional trip to Las Vegas to scatter a late husband's ashes.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
And the good memories made her feel nice for a little while, even if they did turn to ashes when she remembered he was gone.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
