knell

[nel]

noun

1. the sound made by a bell rung slowly, especially for a death or a funeral.

2. a sound or sign announcing the death of a person or the end, extinction, failure, etc., of something.

   the knell of parting day.

3. any mournful sound.

verb (used without object)

1. to sound, as a bell, especially a funeral bell.

2. to give forth a mournful, ominous, or warning sound.

verb (used with object)

1. to proclaim or summon by, or as if by, a bell.

knell

/ nɛl /

noun

1. the sound of a bell rung to announce a death or a funeral

2. something that precipitates or indicates death or destruction

verb

1. (intr) to ring a knell

2. (tr) to proclaim or announce by or as if by a tolling bell

Other Word Forms

• unknelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of knell¹

before 950; (noun) Middle English knel, Old English cynll; (v.) Middle English knellen, knyllen, Old English cynllan; cognate with Old Norse knylla to beat, strike; akin to Dutch knal bang, knallen to bang, German Knall explosion, knallen to explode

Word History and Origins

Origin of knell¹

Old English cnyll; related to Middle High German knüllen to strike, Dutch knallen to bang

Idioms and Phrases

see death knell.

Example Sentences

R360 'would be death knell for club rugby around the world'

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Now its crash was like a death knell.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

UC President James B. Milliken said the announced cuts would be a “death knell for innovative work that saves lives, grows our economy and fortifies our national security.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Industrial automation in the 1970s, for example, was considered the death knell for American manufacturing that would lead to waves of unemployment and the loss of U.S. economic leadership.

Read more on Barron's

However, the big stores slowly suffered from falling profits and rising debt as more shoppers moved online - before the coronavirus lockdowns signalled the death knell to Debenhams and many other businesses.

Read more on BBC