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Synonyms

swan song

American  

noun

  1. the last act or manifestation of someone or something; farewell appearance.

    This building turned out to be the swan song of Victorian architecture.
swan song British  

noun

  1. the last act, appearance, publication, or utterance of a person before retirement or death

  2. the song that a dying swan is said to sing

"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
swan song Idioms  

  1. A final accomplishment or performance, one's last work. For example, I'm resigning tomorrow; this project was my swan song. This term alludes to the old belief that swans normally are mute but burst into beautiful song moments before they die. Although the idea is much older, the term was first recorded in English only in 1890.

Etymology

Origin of swan song

First recorded in 1825–35; so called from the belief that the dying swan sings

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.

Buffett’s epic posthumous hat tip to Munger is a poignant act from an extraordinary man, one that will forever be remembered as the swan song of a legend.

From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025

The Band famously concluded the first act of their unparalleled story with "The Last Waltz," their much-heralded swan song at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving Day in 1976.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2025

Titled “MAD STUDIO” and featuring a who’s who of local arts, the exhibit is an epic swan song you can’t miss.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024

He’s finally healthy after a troublesome hamstring injury, and it feels like Ellis’ swan song at USC is only beginning.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024

The memo heralded the end of an era, the swan song of the Band of Sisters.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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.