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.

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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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of swan song

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

Example Sentences

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

David Bowie’s brilliant swan song is getting the full-blown orchestra treatment when members of his “Blackstar” band lead the Seattle Symphony through the rock icon’s final album, re-imagined for a 65-piece orchestra.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

The music, however, subsides in the second half, transforming this much anticipated Sondheim swan song into an absurdist drama.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023

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

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• farewell