Showing results for near-death experience. Search instead for standout experience.

near-death experience

American

[neer-deth ik-speer-ee-uhns] / ˈnɪərˈdɛθ ɪkˌspɪər i əns /

a sensation or vision, as of the afterlife, reported by a person who has come close to death. nde, NDE

near-death experience British

noun

NDE. an experience, instances of which have been widely reported, in which a person near death is apparently outside his body and aware of it and the attendant circumstances as separate from him

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When did you realize you had the courage to write about this near-death experience?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

Indeed, after the industry’s near-death experience during the pandemic, they’ve become more popular than ever.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The portrayal of Lochlan’s near-death experience might have been more realistic than his poisoning.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025

After the fight, Foreman said he had a "near-death experience" in the dressing as he struggled with exhaustion and heatstroke.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025

After a near-death experience, it feels like anything's possible.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023