death

[ deth ]

/ dɛθ /

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See synonyms for: death / deaths on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.Compare brain death.

an instance of this: a death in the family; letters published after his death.

the state of being dead: to lie still in death.

extinction; destruction: It will mean the death of our hopes.

manner of dying: a hero's death.

(usually initial capital letter) the agent of death personified, usually represented as a man or a skeleton carrying a scythe.Compare Grim Reaper.

Also called spir·it·u·al death . loss or absence of spiritual life.

Christian Science. the false belief that life comes to an end.

bloodshed or murder: Hitler was responsible for the death of millions.

a cause or occasion of death: You'll be the death of me yet!

Archaic. pestilence; plague.Compare Black Death.

OTHER WORDS FOR death

1 decease, demise, passing, departure.

See synonyms for death on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR death

1 birth, life.

See antonyms for death on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about death

at death's door, in serious danger of death; gravely ill: Two survivors of the crash are still at death's door.

be death on, Informal.

to be excessively strict about: College professors are death on late work, so don't even ask for a deadline extension.
to be snobbish about or toward: He's just death on anyone who doesn't appreciate opera.
to be able to cope with easily and successfully: The third baseman is death on pop flies.

catch one’s death (of cold), to become ill with a common cold after exposure to bad weather, especially when wearing clothing that fails to keep one warm or dry: The kids will catch their death waiting at the bus stop in this rain.

do to death,

to kill, especially to murder.
to repeat too often, to the point of becoming monotonous and boring: That theme has been done to death.

in at the death,

Fox Hunting. present at the kill.
present at the climax or conclusion of a situation.

put to death, to kill; execute.

to death, to an extreme degree; thoroughly: sick to death of the heat.

Origin of death

First recorded before 900; Middle English deeth, Old English dēath; cognate with German Tod, Gothic dauthus; akin to Old Norse deyja “to die”; see die¹, -th¹

OTHER WORDS FROM death

pre·death, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH death

dearth, death

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use death in a sentence

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Asia Bibi, as she is known, was arrested and sentenced to death.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The most notorious states are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where death is an acceptable legal remedy.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Father Joel Román Salazar died in a car crash in 2013; his death was ruled an accident, but the suspicion of foul play persists.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The death toll, which experts believe has been significantly undercut by secret burials, stands at 7,905.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Elyon is the name of an ancient Phœnician god, slain by his son El, no doubt the “first-born of death” in Job xviii.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Your sacrifice shall be the agony of agonies, the death of deaths, and yet you'll find yourself unable to resist.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Good is set against evil, and life against death: so also is the sinner against a just man.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for death

death

/ (dɛθ) /

noun

the permanent end of all functions of life in an organism or some of its cellular components

an instance of thishis death ended an era

a murder or killinghe had five deaths on his conscience

termination or destructionthe death of colonialism

a state of affairs or an experience considered as terrible as deathyour constant nagging will be the death of me

a cause or source of death

(usually capital) a personification of death, usually a skeleton or an old man holding a scythe

to death or to the death until deadbleed to death; a fight to the death
to death excessivelybored to death

at death's door likely to die soon

catch one's death or catch one's death of cold informal to contract a severe cold

do to death

to kill
to overuse (a joke, etc) so that it no longer has any effect

in at the death

present when an animal that is being hunted is caught and killed
present at the finish or climax

like death warmed up informal very ill

like grim death as if afraid for one's life

put to death to kill deliberately or execute

Other words from death

Related adjectives: fatal, lethal, mortalRelated prefixes: necro-, thanato-

Word Origin for death

Old English dēath; related to Old High German tōd death, Gothic dauthus

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

Scientific definitions for death

death

[ dĕth ]

The end of life of an organism or cell. In humans and animals, death is manifested by the permanent cessation of vital organic functions, including the absence of heartbeat, spontaneous breathing, and brain activity. Cells die as a result of external injury or by an orderly, programmed series of self-destructive events known as apoptosis. The most common causes of death for humans in well-developed countries are cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, certain chronic diseases such as diabetes and emphysema, lung infections, and accidents. See also brain death.

Other Idioms and Phrases with death

death

In addition to the idioms beginning with death

death and taxes, certain as
death knell
death of
death on

also see:

at death's door
be the death of
bore to death
catch cold (one's death)
fate worse than death
in at the death
kiss of death
look like death (warmed over)
matter of life and death
put to death
scare out of one's wits (to death)
sign one's own death warrant
thrill to pieces (to death)
tickled pink (to death)
to death

Also see underdead.

death

OTHER WORDS FOR death

OPPOSITES FOR death

Idioms about death

Origin of death

OTHER WORDS FROM death

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH death

Words related to death

How to use death in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for death

Other words from death

Word Origin for death

Scientific definitions for death

Other Idioms and Phrases with death